Facts and Simple querries with ordered facts

assert an ordered fact
assert( person( "mark", "UK" ) )

return a list of one

list = person("mark", "UK")

assert another fact
assert( person( "mic", "UK" ) )

Returns a list of two, as $name is not bound

list = person( $name, "UK )

returns a list of 1, as $name is now bound

$name == "mark
list = person( $name, "UK )

Compound querries with ordered facts

assert( likes( "mark", "beans" )
assert( likes( "mark", "pizza" )
assert( likes( "mark", "coke" )
assert( likes( "mic", "meat" )
assert( likes( "mic", "pizza" )
assert( likes( "mic", "fish" )

inline query, returns a  list of 1, mic

list = person( $name, "UK ), likes( $name, "meat" )

The "likes" query acts as a correlated subquery, it is evaluated for each returned "person" row, $name handles the correlation.

Lets turn this into a  named query - see its just like an existing drools query, except it takes a parameter:

query "who likes meat"($name)
    person( $name, "UK" )
    likes(  $name, meat )
end

We can use the above query in two ways

returns  a  list of  1

list = "who likes meat"( "mic" )

returns an empty list

list = "who likes meat"( "mark" )

Also returns a list of 1, as $name is  not yet bound

list = "who likes meat"( $name )

Returns an empty list, as $name is  now bound

$name = "mark"
list = "who likes meat"( $name )

Nested Querries

so we can create "views" on compound querries.

query "favourite foods"($name, $location, $food )
    person( $name, $location )
    likes(  $name, $food )
end

assert( restaurant("meat hut", "UK", "meat") )
assert( restaurant("meat hut", "USA", "meat") )
assert( restaurant("pizza hut", "UK", "pizza") )


query "my restaurants"($personName, $restuarantName, $food)
   "favourite foods"($personName, $food, $location)
   restaurant($restaurantName, $location, $food)
end

If no variables are needed for a correlated query you can just use a

"my restaurants"("mic", *, *)   

returns a list of

"mic", "meat hut", "meat"
"mic", "pizza  hut", "pizza"

Querries with rules

So how does this work with rules?

rule  "when hungry
    when
         Person( $name : name; hungry == true )
         "my restaurants"( $name, $restuarantName, $food ) //notice $food and $location where not previous  bound         
    then
       send $name to $restuarantName to eat $food
end       

language changes to facilite prolog style usage of rules

'from' is ideal for iterating over collections return 'from' a function call. And ofcourse we turn function calls that return single values into a collection to do an iteration of one. However I thought it might be more declarative to add an = or an 'is' keyword.

$f = $dog.name

or possible

$f is $dog.name

but I think I prefer  the first

Internally this would just use 'from', but it might be more declaratively understandable to allow the above. The other reason is it facilitates prolog style backward chaining, where you can use something like this in a rule:

c_to_f(C,F) :-

   F is C  9 / 5 + 32.

C is an 'in' variable and F is an 'out' variable.

Further to this I thought it would be good to allow function calls, that are basically converted to evals

log($fact)

instead of

eval( log($fact) )