Abstract: An expert information system with which a decision maker in the construction, or a related industry, can generate a decision record and related control instructions in a facile manner without significant omissions while ensuring that substantially all of the options available for making the decisions have been considered. The expert system includes a microcomputer which executes a system control program to select information units from the expertise of a data base and to concentrate individual information units until an entire decision record has been generated. The process is enhanced by a multiwindowed display which displays possible selections from the expert data base while contrasting that data with data in another window having a list of data indicating the decisions or selections already made. A display pointer with a controllable position is employed to select lines and phrases of the expert information from that portion of the data base displayed in the selection window.

Abstract: An expert information system with which a decision maker in the construction, or a related industry, can generate a decision record and related control instructions in a facile manner without significant omissions while ensuring that substantially all of the options available for making the decisions have been considered. The expert system includes a microcomputer which executes a system control program to select information units from the expertise of a data base and to concentrate individual information units until an entire decision record has been generated. The process is enhanced by a multiwindowed display which displays possible selections from the expert data base while contrasting that data with data in another window having a list of data indicating the decisions or selections already made. A display pointer with a controllable position is employed to select lines and phrases of the expert information from that portion of the data base displayed in the selection window.

Abstract: A computer system is disclosed for preparing a complete set of architectural specifications for constructing a building, including, if desired, sets of instructions that will be used by personnel during preparation of construction drawings and during construction. A specifier uses brief symbolic characters representative of individual phrases from a large information repository called a Master Phrase Catalog, to mark decisions and phrase selections in code on an order form designed to facilitate the specifier's task. The information in the Master Phrase Catalog includes construction materials, techniques, reference information, testing and industry standards which are correlated with instructional information and work assignments for various groups of people. The specifier uses only a limited number of commands to completely specify a project.