## Adding an Assertion

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| Editing the Cyc KB with the Web Interface
| Interpreting the Queue Status Display
| Looking at Assertions in the Transcript

Now that we've covered transcripts and communication modes, we're ready to modify the KB. Make sure that you are either the sole user of the Cyc Server or that you are cooperating with the other users. Set your communication mode to :isolated and make sure that the agenda is enabled. Click on the name of your constant in the top frame. The constant will be displayed on a browsing page in the center frames. We'll add and edit assertions on this constant. Next to each assertion is a truth-value symbol which is also a clickable link representing the assertion. On the assertion which looks like:

         isa :  HumanCyclist

click on the . The web interface will display a page showing the assertion in proposition syntax and presenting a set of editing options.

Now, we don't really want to change this assertion, since the cyclist logged in should be an instance of #$Cyclist. So lets add a new assertion that we can experiment with:

Click on "`[Assert Similar]`" and a new page will display the assertion in an editing pane. You are probably wondering why there isn't a command "`[New]`" which would bring up a blank editing window. The reason is that your new assertion often shares at least one term with the one you were browsing, so this behavior is usually more convenient. If you want to enter a completely different assertion, all you have to do is delete the line before you start typing.

Change the assertion from

         (#$isa <your constant> #$HumanCyclist)

to

         (#$isa <your constant> #$Doctor-Medical)

and click the "Assert Formula" button. The assertion is added to your local queue and the interface displays a page confirming that the operation was added.

Use your browsers "Back" button three times to return to the page displaying your constant, then click the "Reload/Refresh" button to get the latest information from your Cyc Server. If your Cyc Server was not busy, your new assertion has probably already been added, and your constant is now an instance of #$Doctor-Medical. If not, wait a moment and hit "Reload/Refresh" again. You should see that the number of operations in your transcript file has increased by two (not one, as we'll see in a moment).

Last Update: 03/28/2002