README.md

ChatScript Guide To Documentation (user guides, tutorials, papers)

© Bruce Wilcox, mailto:gowilcox@gmail.com www.brilligunderstanding.com
Revision CS7.6

ChatScript has a lot of documentation in various manuals, so knowing what to read may seem daunting. Here is an overview.

Basic ChatScript for starters

• What is ChatScript?
  Overview of the design goals and abilities of CS. Not necessary to read.

• ChatScript Basic User Manual
  This explains how to run CS, how to understand basic CS ideas like rules, topics, and concepts. A must starting place.

• ChatScript Tutorial
  A briew step-by-step on creating a chatbot travel agent, written by a CS user.

• ChatScript Memorization
  A simple explanation of how to “learn” data about the user.

• ChatScript Common Beginner Mistakes
  Here are a collection of common beginner mistakes.

Predefined Bots

• Bot Harry - basic bot
  A brief overview of the simple Harry bot and how to make simple modifications. Potentially useful for a beginner read.

• Bot NLTK – NL analysis bot
  A brief description of how to run the NLTK bot. Not useful for most people, especially if NLTK means nothing to you.

• Bot Stockpile – planner bot
  A brief description of how to run the Stockpile bot. Not useful for most people. It's about planner capabilities of CS.

• Bot Postgres – postgres bot
  Illustration of using Postgres database.

• Bot German
  An illustration of hooking in an external pos-tagger for foreign language support.

Advanced ChatScript

• ChatScript Advanced User Manual
  Once you've master basic CS, this is the place to go next.

• ChatScript System Functions Manual
  A listing of all the functions of CS.

• ChatScript Fact Manual
  A discussion of how to manipulate facts in CS.

• ChatScript Json
  ChatScript support for Json

• ChatScript Overview Input to Output
  An overview of the process of converting input to output. Not necessary except for really advanced users wanting the appropriate mental model.

• ChatScript Pattern Redux
  A terse but detailed look at everything involving rule patterns.

• ChatScript System Variables and Engine-defined Concepts
  Engine-defined Concepts. System Variables. Control over Input. Interchange Variables.

• ChatScript Command Line Parameters
  Command line parameters details and usage.

• ChatScript Multiple Bots
  How to control multiple bots in a single server.

• Installing and Updating ChatScript
  Installing on Windows, Mac, Linux. Updating ChatScript (advanced).

• ChatScript Coding Standards

Test and Debug

• ChatScript Finalizing a Bot
  Once you have built a bot, how to polish it and make sure it is “ready”. A bot will likely never be complete because you will want to keep improving it.

• ChatScript Testing Manual
  The features of CS that support debugging, including tracing.

• ChatScript Debugger
  Built-in text oriented step debugger.

Specialized ChatScript

• Servers and Clients

• ChatScript ClientServer Manual
  How to configure and run CS as a server. And thinking about CS on mobile.

• ChatScript External Communications
  How to embedding ChatScript inside another main program, calling programs on the OS from ChatScript, and getting services via the Internet from ChatScript.

• ChatScript Amazon Server
  How to install CS as a server on Amazon AWS.

• Esoteric ChatScript

• ChatScript Control Scripts
  Brief overview of writing your own control scripts

• ChatScript Analytics
  Debug functions that can dissect log files.

• ChatScript Document Reader
  How to use CS to acquire information from a document.

• ChatScript Javascript
  How to write outputmacros in Javascript and call them.

• ChatScript Mongo
  How to use the Mongo db directly from CS

• ChatScript Planning
  How to use CS as an HTN (hierarchical task network) planner.

• ChatScript PosParser
  How to use grammar/parsing in CS patterns.

• ChatScript PostgreSQL
  How to use the Postgres database directly from CS.

• ChatScript MySQL
  How to use the MySQL database directly from CS.

• ChatScript Exotica
  Brief old interesting scripting tips

• ChatScript Foreign Languages
  Running CS in a language other than English.

• ChatScript Engine
  How the internals of the engine work and how to extend it with private code.

Papers in order

• Paper - ChatBots 102
  My first paper, looking at the flaws of AIML and why I felt I could do better (before Suzette won anything).

• Paper - Pattern Matching for Natural Language
  Compares CS, AIML, and Facade

• Paper - Suzette The Most Human Computer
  How our first chatbot came about, won the Loebner's, and differed from AIML.

• Paper - Speaker for the Dead
  Applying chatbots to manage people's accumulations of papers, photos, etc.

• Paper - Google Talk
  A talk I gave at Google about my history, CS, and writing code to act out stories

• Paper - Writing a Chatbot
  Useful discussion on how to think about writing a chatbot

• Paper - ARBOR_ MakingItReal
  Useful discussion on how to think about writing a chatbot

• Paper - Winning 15 Minute Conversation
  The conversation (1 of 2) that had our chatbot easily win best 15 minute conversation at ChatBot Battles 2012.

• Paper - Winning the Loebner's
  Realities of the Loebner competition and additional ideas of english applied to chatbots

• ChatScript Training
  A slide series on how CS works and how the engine works.