LINGUIST List 10.1489

Fri Oct 8 1999

FYI: Grammar Software,Syntax Student's Companion

Editor for this issue: James Yuells <jameslinguistlist.org>

Directory

  • Ann Copestake, Open source grammar and grammar development software
  • Joseph Hilferty, Using the Syntax Student's Companion

    Message 1: Open source grammar and grammar development software

     Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 22:01:25 -0700 (PDT)
    From: Ann Copestake <aaccsli.Stanford.EDU>
    Subject: Open source grammar and grammar development software


    The LKB system, a development environment for constraint-based grammar frameworks, is now available for free download from http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~aac/lkb.html The LinGO project's computational grammar for English, which uses the HPSG framework, is available from the same site. The LinGO grammar can be used for parsing and generation with the LKB system. Other smaller grammars, primarily intended for teaching purposes, are also downloadable. The LKB system is distributed as Common Lisp source code and as a standalone executable for Linux and Solaris. Detailed documentation for the LKB system, including an introduction to typed feature structure formalisms, is also available online, at http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~aac/doc5-2.pdf Please see the documentation and the LKB Website for further details.

    Ann Copestake

    Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI) Stanford University









    Message 2: Using the Syntax Student's Companion

     Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999 00:13:50 +0200
    From: Joseph Hilferty <hilfertyfil.ub.es>
    Subject: Using the Syntax Student's Companion


    Not to long ago there was a posting announcing a freeware Java program called the Syntax Student's Companion.

    I'm sure that more than one person was put off by having to link this program to a Java virtual machine (I certainly was--I know nothing about Java or programming).

    Anyway, installing the program is not really that difficult. Here are some pointers:

    (1) Get the following file:

    SSC041.zip

    It can be found at:

    http://wwwetu.utc.fr/~maxaurel/welcome.html

    Then, unzip the file in (e.g.) c:

    (2) Get the latest Java Developer's Kit (JDK 1.2.2) and install it on your machine. The file name is:

    jdk1_2_2-win.exe

    and can be downloaded from various sites:

    http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/ http://www.javasoft.com

    It's a big file (approx. 20 Mb), so it might be wise to run an FTP search for a reasonably close site. (BTW, don't use JDK 1.2.1--I did and got pretty poor results.)

    (3) With Notepad, make a file called (e.g.) SYNTAX.BAT and insert the following commands:

    ECHO OFF REM This file is SYNTAX.BAT path C:\jdk1.2.2\bin;%path% set CLASSPATH=C:\SSC041\ java -classpath %CLASSPATH%;SSC.jar SSCFrame

    Make sure to place this file in the same directory as the Student's Syntax Companion program. You can make a shortcut from SYNTAX.BAT if need be.

    (4) Click on SYNTAX.BAT to use the program.

    Hope this helps. If anyone knows of a better way to do it, please let me know. Like I said, I know nothing about Java, so please (pretty please) don't hold me responsible if I've said something silly.

    Joe Hilferty __________________________________________________________ Home page: http://lingua.fil.ub.es/~hilferty/homepage.html