ALPS (A Language for Process Specification) - A definition language for hypertext trails

  • Authors:

  • Bruce Thomas

  • Affiliations:

  • Computer and Information Science, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia Tel.: +61 8 8302 3464/ Fax: +61 8 8302 3381/ E-mail: mabht@graceland.Levels.UniSA.Edu.Au

  • Venue:
  • Information Services and Use
  • Year:
  • 2000

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Abstract

This paper proposes using ALPS to specify a new hypertext trail to an existing hypertext document. In Vannevar Bush's first hypertext system “Memex”, Bush envisioned “Memex” as having the ability for a user to define a trail in an information space. A trail is a predefined sub-net of an information space. A trail can be used at a later date, be passed on to another user, or be added to existing trails. If trails are to be realized, there needs to be a system independent method of describing them. Trails have two basic primitives, information nodes and links between nodes. Current hypertext systems provide proprietary linear trail definitions, but a more general definition is needed which includes such features as: sequencing, parallelism, branching, and synchronization. Two examples are provided to highlight the flexibility and power of using ALPS as an external information space specification language.