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ABSTRACT

This paper describes the design of the help and explanation component of a user-friendly operating system command interface called COUSIN. The facility can provide two kinds of information: (1) static descriptions of the various subsystems that can be invoked, their parameters, and the syntax that must be used; (2) dynamically generated descriptions of the state of the current interaction, why that state has arisen, and what the user's options for action are. Both types of information are presented in the same way through a network of small text frames connected by semantically motivated links in the style of the ZOG system. Frames containing static information are generated automatically for each subsystem from a declarative description of the subsystem which is also used by COUSIN for its other services, including spelling and grammar correction and interactive error resolution. Dynamically generated frames are incorporated temporarily into the static network with semantic links appropriate to the current command context.

REFERENCES

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