Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that identifies a synonym for a query phrase in a manner that ensures that the synonym does not drop information from the query phrase. First, the system identifies a synonym for the query phrase and synonyms for sub-components of the query phrase. If the identified synonym for the query phrase is also a synonym for a subcomponent of the query phrase, the system does not use the identified synonym as a synonym for the query phrase.

Abstract: An information system having a computer readable medium including a flexible data structure is provided. The data structure allows information entered into the data structure to be embellished or qualified. The flexible data structure increases the ability of the data structure to record exceptional information pertinent to specific circumstances. The flexible data structure also enables database access software to respond to user queries in a more effective and informative manner.

Abstract: A node-link structure is laid out in a space with negative curvature, such as the hyperbolic plane. Nearby relationship data are obtained for an element in the structure, indicating information about nearby node-link relationships; then layout data for the element are obtained, based on the nearby relationship data. The layout data indicate the element's position relative to a parent in the negatively curved space. The layout data can indicate a position displacement and an angle displacement between the parent and the element. The nearby relationship data can be obtained by counting grandchildren of the parent for each child of the parent that is in a set that are being or have been laid out. The counts can be used to obtain a radius and an angle for each child in the set, and the radii and angles can be used to obtain the position displacement and angle displacement. The nearby node-link relationships can thus include only relationships among the parent and its children and grandchildren.

Abstract: Techniques for organizing a corpus of electronic documents. The electronic documents are organized in a manner that facilitates review of the documents. The documents are organized into a concept-based hierarchical collection of folders based upon contents of the documents.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that identifies a synonym with N-gram agreement for a query phrase. During operation, the system receives a candidate synonym for the query phrase. Then, for each term in the query phrase, the system determines whether the term is a lexical synonym of a corresponding term in the candidate synonym or the term shares meaning with the corresponding term in the candidate synonym. If this is true for all terms in the query phrase, the system identifies the candidate synonym as an N-gram agreement synonym for the query phrase. The system then uses this identified N-gram agreement synonym to improve synonym mappings for query terms and/or query phrases.

Abstract: A method (and system) for clustering a plurality of items. Each of the items includes information. The method includes inputting a plurality of items. Each of the items includes information. The items are provided into a clustering process. The method also inputs an initial organization structure into the clustering process. The initial organization structure includes one or more categories, at least one of the categories being associated with one of the items. The method processes the plurality of items based upon at least the initial organization structure and the information in each of the items; and determines a resulting organization structure based upon the processing. The resulting organization structure relates to the initial organization structure.

Abstract: A node-link structure is displayed within a display area having a narrow rectangular shape with an edge along one side acting as a horizon of a hyperbolic space half-plane. Lower level node features that share a parent node feature have centers of area positioned on the display in order along a line parallel with the horizon, with sufficiently similar spacings along an axis perpendicular to the horizon from the region around a parent node feature, and with sufficiently similar spacings in a dimension parallel to the horizon from adjacent node features along the line, that the lower level node features sharing the parent node feature are perceptible as a group of related node features. The half-plane model with compression is used for layout of the node-link data, and the hyperbolic layout data is mapped to a Euclidean space for display.

Abstract: A method (and system) for clustering a plurality of items. Each of the items includes information. The method includes inputting a plurality of items. Each of the items includes information. The items are provided into a clustering process. The method also inputs an initial organization structure into the clustering process. The initial organization structure includes one or more categories, at least one of the categories being associated with one of the items. The method processes the plurality of items based upon at least the initial organization structure and the information in each of the items; and determines a resulting organization structure based upon the processing. The resulting organization structure relates to the initial organization structure.

Abstract: Techniques managing syntactic and semantic ambiguity allow two different kinds of processing and representation of ambiguity to work together. The techniques allow linear logic semantic assembly to work with packed functional (f) structures and provide for contexted version of linear logic where semantic contributions are read from the packed functional (f) structure and pre-pended with the contents of the functional (f) structure to which they pertain. Linear logic reasoning may then be performed in the contexted linear logic to derive possible meanings from the contexted contributions from the packed functional (f) structure. Deductions in the contexted linear logic do not require fully expanding each syntactic parse. Techniques applying skeleton/modifier techniques to contexted reasoning are provided by creating a contexted modifier applicable only for certain syntactic readings.

Abstract: Techniques that allow the operations of a program to be intercepted and intervened with are known. These techniques are restricted by the same limited view of the program's data that is currently available at a base level of an object or method. Some aspects need access to more information about the program's data of one or more objects than is available at the base level. An aspect of aspect-oriented programming systems, methods and environments examines the results of a computation at one stage. That aspect affects only subsequent stages of the computation, so that no circularity exists. Custom flow analyses, whether local or global, can also be performed at each stage to propagate non-local information. “Macro” style programming can be reduced or avoided, as programming can be facilitated in terms of manipulating the results of various computational stages instead of in terms of manipulating blocks of code.

Abstract: A node-link structure is displayed within a display area, having a narrow rectangular shape with an edge along one side acting as a horizon of a hyperbolic space half-plane. Lower level node features that share a parent node feature have centers of area positioned on the display in order along a line parallel with the horizon, with sufficiently similar spacings along an axis perpendicular to the horizon from the region around a parent node feature, and with sufficiently similar spacings in a dimension parallel to the horizon from adjacent node features along the line, that the lower level node features sharing the parent node feature are perceptible as a group of related node features. The half-plane model with compression is used for layout of the node-link data, and the hyperbolic layout data is mapped to a Euclidean space for display.

Abstract: Techniques managing syntactic and semantic ambiguity allow two different kinds of processing and representation of ambiguity to work together. The techniques allow linear logic semantic assembly to work with packed functional (f) structures and provide for contexted version of linear logic where semantic contributions are read from the packed functional (f) structure and pre-pended with the contents of the functional (f) structure to which they pertain. Linear logic reasoning may then be performed in the contexted linear logic to derive possible meanings from the contexted contributions from the packed functional (f) structure. Deductions in the contexted linear logic do not require fully expanding each syntactic parse. Techniques applying skeleton/modifier techniques to contexted reasoning are provided by creating a contexted modifier applicable only for certain syntactic readings.

Abstract: In a series of iterations, each of which automatically traverses a set of elements of a node-link structure, an iteration modifies the part of node-link data defining the structure that is in memory. The modified part of node-link data is more likely to define the set of elements that will be traversed by the next iteration. The iteration can determine whether to remove any of the part of node-link data, and then apply a criterion, such as a navigation history criterion or a least recently traversed criterion, to determine which of the part to remove. The iteration can also determine whether its set of elements includes an element with children that are not defined by the part of node-link data in memory, and can obtain a modified part that defines those children. Each iteration can, for example, prepare and present a representation of the node-link structure.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for fast mapping from a document management system to a relational database. A database is provided having a plurality of tables relating to a plurality property groups. Each property group in the database has a set of properties associated therewith. In the database, property groups having at least one common property with one another are grouped into a common table while property groups having no common properties are grouped into separate tables in the database. When a document having one or more properties is provided, a determination is made as to which of the property groups in the database apply to the document. The properties of the document are then mapped to those tables in the database which include a property group that has been determined to apply to the document.

Abstract: A partial evaluator, or pre-compiler, for a computer program enables a user to provide, at suitable places within a program, language constructs which cause certain expressions within the program to be evaluated at runtime or at partial evaluation time. These language constructs can be used to shorten runtime, such as by avoiding unnecessary duplication of code at runtime.

Abstract: Techniques that allow the operations of a program to be intercepted and intervened with are known. These techniques are restricted by the same limited view of the program's data that is currently available at a base level of an object or method. Some aspects need access to more information about the program's data of one or more objects than is available at the base level. An aspect of aspect-oriented programming systems, methods and environments examines the results of a computation at one stage. That aspect affects only subsequent stages of the computation, so that no circularity exists. Custom flow analyses, whether local or global, can also be performed at each stage to propagate non-local information. “Macro” style programming can be reduced or avoided, as programming can be facilitated in terms of manipulating the results of various computational stages instead of in terms of manipulating blocks of code.

Abstract: A document management system is provided which organizes, stores and retrieves documents according to properties attached to the documents. A property attachment mechanism allows an application to attach arbitrary static and active properties to a document. The active properties include executable code which perform document management functions to control the state and behavior of the document in response to a triggering event. In this manner, the state and behavior of the document is provided to a user and is accurately maintained even when the application is not running.

Abstract: A set of development tools is provided as part of an integrated development environment for supporting aspect-oriented programming such that aspects may easily be defined for embodying functionality which cross-cuts main program functionality in such a way that aspects transparently force their behavior on the main program. The editor and debugger of the integrated development environment embody functionality for accommodating this transparency.

Abstract: Methods and systems for browsing a node-link structure involves displaying representations of the node-link structure within a display area, which are well suited to utilization of display areas with a narrow rectangular shape. An animated view of the node-link structure is accomplished, which preserves focus and context for the user, and allows scrolling among related nodes. Thus, the node link data is used to present a sequence of representations of the node-link structure on a display. The display has an edge along one side acting as a horizon corresponding for example with the horizon of a hyperbolic space half-plane. The sequence begins with a first representation and ends with the last representation, perceptible as changed continuation of the first representation.

Abstract: An aspect oriented system for implementing system monitoring and tracing is provided in which the monitoring and tracing functionality needs not be coded into the resources being monitored or traced. Rather, an aspect is provided which encapsulates the monitoring/tracing behavior. This behavior may easily and transparently be forced onto the resource by compiling the object class for the resource along with the monitoring/tracing aspect. When the monitoring/tracing is no longer needed, it is removed simply by recompiling the resource object classes without the aspect.