(Last modified Tue Jan 22 22:41 2008)
allen examples
These examples provide a start for new users of allen;
it's always easier to work from an example.
The examples range from the intriguing
to the very simple.
This web page was generated using allen.
User input is in color.
Which build of allen.jar
An example of using allen
An example of using allen -subclass
The -help option
Help while allen is running
The -subclass -help option
allen% java -jar allen.jar -build
allen 2006Jan26 Thu 23:48:05 UT
allen% java -jar allen.jar -echo Reading from standard input (-help or ? for help): (p).(m) (p).(m) = (p) (pmoDF).(seSdf) (pmoFD).(seSdf) = (pmoFDseSdfO) !(p) !(p) = (P) ~(p) ~(p) = (moFDseSdfOMP) (pm)+(mo) (pm)+(mo) = (pmo) (pm)^(mo) (pm)^(mo) = (m) ~() ~() = (pmoFDseSdfOMP) (pmo)<(moFD) (pmo)<(moFD) = false (pmo).(p)=(p).(pmo) (pmo).(p)=(p).(pmo) = true
allenSubclass% java -cp allen.jar allen.subclass.Command -echo Reading from standard input (-help or ? for help): (pmo)(moD)(oDF)(DFs)(Fse) -close=. Adding (pmo).(moD) = (pmoFD) Adding (FDs).(FDs) = (pmoFDs) Adding (Fse).(Fse) = (pmoFse) -print (pmoFDs) (pmoFD) (pmoFse) (pmo) (moD) (oFD) (FDs) (Fse) -closed=. Closed under '.' composition. -closed=! Not closed under '!' converse: !(pmoFDs) = (SdfOMP) -tractable=H Not a subclass of the H subalgebra. (FDs) not in H: Intersects with (sd) and with (FD) but does not contain (o) (Fse) not in H: Intersects with (sd) and with (FD) but does not contain (o)
-help option% java -jar allen.jar -helpallen -- do operations with Allen's interval algebra relations.
allen [options] [file ...]
Input is taken from the standard input or named files and scanned for
relations to evaluate.
Command line options:
-help Show this help.
-subclass The 'Allen subclass' command; allen -subclass -help for help.
May only appear as the first option on the command line.
-build Show the build identifier.
-chars List the 13 basic relations and their characters,
and the 5 operations and their characters.
-chars=s Use s, which must be a string of 13 characters,
as the symbols for the basic relations pmoFDseSdfOMP,
followed optionally by the 5 operations !.~^+ ,
followed optionally by the 5 comparators =><#? ;
or (s=Allen) use Allen's symbols;
or (s=kjj) use Krokhin, Jeavons, and Jonsson's symbols;
or (s=ScenarioML) use the ScenarioML symbols (default).
-syntax Give help on the input syntax (same as from input line "?").
-echo Input is echoed. -echo=help for more specific choices.
-quiet Only the results (and errors) are displayed; no echoing.
An input line consisting of ? results in a display of the input syntax.
Input lines beginning with # are echoed as comments.
Input lines beginning with - are interpreted as command-line options.
Each other line contains either an Allen relation, an expression
evaluating to a relation, or a comparison between two expressions.
Allen relations are expressed by listing the characters for the basic
relations they contain, in parentheses. -chars lists the characters.
The complement of a relation is indicated by a ~ before it.
The converse of a relation is indicated by a ! before it.
Composition of two relations is indicated by a dot . between them.
Intersection is ^, union is +.
Comparison of two expressions for equality is indicated by =.
Comparison of two expressions for strength is indicated by > or <
with the sign pointing to the equal-or-weaker (superset) relation.
Whitespace is ignored except inside a literal relation.
Compound relations are displayed with basic relation characters sorted.
Example input line:
(pm).~(oFDSe)
allen is running% java -jar allen.jar -echoReading from standard input (-help or ? for help):
?
# <inputLine> ::= # <comment>
# | ? # show this help
# | -<option> # -help or any other command line option
# | <expression>
# | <comparison>
# <expression> ::= <relation>
# | ( <expression> )
# | ~ <expression> # complement
# | <expression> . <relation> # composition
# | ! <expression> # converse
# | <expression> ^ <relation> # intersection
# | <expression> + <relation> # union
# <relation> ::= ( [pmoFDseSdfOMP]* )
# <comparison> ::= <expression> = <expression>
# | <expression> > <expression>
# | <expression> < <expression>
# | <expression> # <expression>
# | <expression> ? <expression>
#
-help
allen -- do operations with Allen's interval algebra relations.
allen [options] [file ...]
Input is taken from the standard input or named files and scanned for
relations to evaluate.
Command line options:
-help Show this help.
-subclass The 'Allen subclass' command; allen -subclass -help for help.
May only appear as the first option on the command line.
-build Show the build identifier.
-chars List the 13 basic relations and their characters,
and the 5 operations and their characters.
-chars=s Use s, which must be a string of 13 characters,
as the symbols for the basic relations pmoFDseSdfOMP,
followed optionally by the 5 operations !.~^+ ,
followed optionally by the 5 comparators =><#? ;
or (s=Allen) use Allen's symbols;
or (s=kjj) use Krokhin, Jeavons, and Jonsson's symbols;
or (s=ScenarioML) use the ScenarioML symbols (default).
-syntax Give help on the input syntax (same as from input line "?").
-echo Input is echoed. -echo=help for more specific choices.
-quiet Only the results (and errors) are displayed; no echoing.
An input line consisting of ? results in a display of the input syntax.
Input lines beginning with # are echoed as comments.
Input lines beginning with - are interpreted as command-line options.
Each other line contains either an Allen relation, an expression
evaluating to a relation, or a comparison between two expressions.
Allen relations are expressed by listing the characters for the basic
relations they contain, in parentheses. -chars lists the characters.
The complement of a relation is indicated by a ~ before it.
The converse of a relation is indicated by a ! before it.
Composition of two relations is indicated by a dot . between them.
Intersection is ^, union is +.
Comparison of two expressions for equality is indicated by =.
Comparison of two expressions for strength is indicated by > or <
with the sign pointing to the equal-or-weaker (superset) relation.
Whitespace is ignored except inside a literal relation.
Compound relations are displayed with basic relation characters sorted.
Example input line:
(pm).~(oFDSe)
-chars
pmoFDseSdfOMP~.!^+><=#?
p precedes
m meets
o overlaps
F finished-by
D contains
s starts
e equals
S started-by
d during
f finishes
O overlapped-by
M met-by
P preceded-by
'~' complement
'.' composition
'!' converse
'^' intersection
'+' union
'>' stronger
'<' weaker
'=' equals
'#' incomparable
'?' categorize
-subclass -help option% java -cp allen.jar allen.subclass.Command -help
allenSubclass -- do operations on sets of Allen's interval algebra relations.
allenSubclass [argument ...]
Inputs are file names, -- which represents standard input, and -all.
The set of relations is then operated on as specified by command-line arguments.
Inputs are read and operators are applied in the order in which they are listed.
If the last argument is not "-print", the result set is printed by default.
Command line options:
-help Show this help.
-build Show the build identifier.
-subalgebras List the eighteen maximal tractable subalgebras and their
membership criteria.
-syntax Give help on the input syntax (same as from input line "?").
-echo Input is echoed.
-quiet Input is not echoed; only the results (and errors) are displayed.
Command-line operators on the current set of relations:
file Add the relations in the named file to the current set.
-- Add the relations read from the standard input to the current set.
-all As if a file containing all 8192 Allen relations were named where
this option appears.
-chars List the 13 basic relations and their characters,
and the 5 operations and their characters.
-chars=s Use s, which must be a string of 13 characters, as
the symbols for the basic relations pmoFDseSdfOMP,
or 18 with additionally the characters for the operations !.~^+ ;
or (s=Allen) use Allen's symbols;
or (s=kjj) use Krokhin, Jeavons, and Jonsson's symbols;
or (s=ScenarioML) use the ScenarioML symbols (default).
-clear Clear all relations from the current set.
-close=[!.~^+]+
Close the relations under the listed operations.
-closed=[!.~^+]+
Check whether the relations are closed under each listed operation,
and give a counterexample for each if not.
If none are named, !.^+ are checked.
-filter=[A1,A2,A3,A4,Ae,B1,B2,B3,B4,EStar,Ed,Eo,Ep,H,SStar,Sd,So,Sp]
Remove any relations that are not in the named subalgebra.
-tractable=[A1,A2,A3,A4,Ae,B1,B2,B3,B4,EStar,Ed,Eo,Ep,H,SStar,Sd,So,Sp]*
Check whether the relations are all members of the named
subalgebras. If none are named, all are checked.
List relations that are not in each checked subalgebra.
-print Display the relations, in standard form and sequence.
