ACP3 1.0 README

Updated: Wed Apr 29 04:21:42 1998 by Jeff Dalton

ACP3 stands for Air Campaign Planning Process Panel.

This file briefly describes the status of the current release, the
contents of the ACP3 directory (as distributed) and some of the
conventions that are used.

For instructions on how to install and use ACP3, see the file
INSTALL in this directory.


Major parts of ACP3
-------------------

    +------------------+    +------------------+    +------------------+
    |                  |    |                  |    |                  |
    | KQML Watcher     |    | Process Models   |    | Viewers          |
    |                  |    |                  |    |                  |
<-->|                  |--->|                  |--->|    Graph View    |
    | KQML to Process- |    | Workflow Stepper |    |    Matrix View   |
    | Step Mapper      |    | Process State    |    |    Info Panel    |
    |                  |    |                  |    |                  |
    +------------------+    +------------------+    +------------------+


Status as of this release
-------------------------

The system is essentially complete, with some limitations.

When run, ACP3 registers itself as a Kqml agent called "ACP3".

The KQML Watcher can understand a range of PCM messages that it
translates into event descriptions that can be understood by the
Workflow Stepper.  PCM messages do not cover all actions in the
process, so some events must be inferred.

The Workflow Stepper works with a complete model of the process,
including all levels of expansion into subactions.  When it is told
of an event (the start of finish of the execution of an action), it
can determine what later actions are then able to execute and can
usually determine what earlier, unmonitored events must have occurred.
All of the resulting status changes are then sent to the Viewers.
The Stepper also determines the status of actions overall, i.e.
across all courses of action.

Graph and Matrix Views are available.  The Matrix can display the
status of all actions and subactions in the process, both for each COA
and overall.  The Graph is, at present, more limited.  It can display
only the overall status, and only for the top-level actions or the
immediate subactions of "Develop COA".  The viewers use process
descriptions that could be derived from the model used by the Workflow
Stepper, but at present are created independently.  The process models
used by the Graph Viewer are created by a process editor editor based
on the Viewer.


Subdirectories and their contents
---------------------------------

  acp3-logs/

     The directory in which ACP3 creates log files when it runs.
     This directory must be writable by everyone who will run ACP3.

  bin/

     Various executables, including shell scripts for running Java
     programs.

  doc/

     Documentation of various sorts.  See doc/README.

  doc/javadoc/

     Documentation produced by javadoc, usually via "make javadoc".

  html/

     HTML files that correspond to the run-time information displays,
     together with any included images.

  IMG/

     Images used at run-time by ACP3.

  kqml/

     The Java KQML code used by ACP3.  The actual files are in
     kqml/java-src.  kqml/lib/kqml.jar is what's normally put in the
     CLASSPATH.  It is a symbolic link to kqml.jar in kqml/java-src.
     This version was obtained from Terry Padgett on 23 Jan 1998.

  log/

     Various MPA agent log files that can be used for testing.

  oplan/

     The oplan package.  By convention, this directory contains only
     subpackages and files (such as Release.java) that apply to the
     the oplan package as a whole.

  oplan/acp3/

     The oplan.acp3 package -- classes specific to ACP3.

  oplan/op3/

     The oplan.op3 package -- classes relevant to process panels
     generally.  This package is currently empty.

  oplan/test/

     The oplan.test package.  This contains a number of simple main
     programs used to test various aspects of the system, features of
     Java, etc.

  oplan/util/

     The oplan.util package -- general-purpose classes, not specific
     to process panels.  Some classes are in subpackages.

  ProcessModels/

     Saved process models.


Web Page Supporting ACP3
------------------------

http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~arpi/ACP3 is a web page which supports 
the different releases of ACP3.  It contains the distributed system,
instructions on installation and use, background information,
associated publications, and sample screen images.  In future
releases, there will be a demonstration (an applet) that can 
be run from a web-browser.