Interpreting ABF—a language for document construction

ABSTRACT

This paper describes an interpreter for ABF, a language for constructing legal documents. The ABF language defines both commands to develop documents and commands to manipulate those documents. The language has typical programming constructs for sequence, selection, and repetition but also allows the user other capabilities to aid in document construction; the user can modify the program while it is running (change the document while it is being processed), type the variables during the initial processing of a document, and then change the type during later processing, enter commands that require a change of context during the processing of a document, output a document with variables still undefined. A document is constructed using conditional and repeat statements and incorporation of other documents by reference. Data types include documents, strings, numbers, dollar amounts and logical values. Arrays can be formed for all types except documents. There are three forms of subprograms: documents can be incorporated by reference in other documents at any point at which a variable name is permitted; rules (subprocedures) for computing values can be attached to any variable; and alternate questions can be attached to variables in a similar manner. The ABF system queries the user for any values needed to complete a document; questions are generated from variable names.

REFERENCES

• 1: David William Barron, Pascal: The Language and Its Implementation, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1981
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• 3: Harr, Henry. 1987. Automatic Compilation of Legal Documents. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Computer Science Department, Illinois Institute of Technology.
• 4: Krasner, Glenn. 1983. Smalltalk-80. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts.
• 5: Sprowl, J. A. 1979. "Automating the Legal Reasoning Process: A Computer That Uses Regulations and Statues to Draft Legal Documents." American Bar Foundation Research Journal. Vol. 1979, 1-8.
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INDEX TERMS

Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: ABF
      D.3.4 Processors
          Subjects: Interpreters

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Languages, Legal Aspects