Mark,

  yes you can use Parmenides and I would also recommend Frulekit
(described below):

DESCRIPTION

Introduction
  PARMENIDES (PropagAting, Rulekit-Motivated ENgine for Instance
DEScriptions) is a frame-based knowledge representation system.  It is
influenced by SRL, Framekit, CommonLoops, and the Spice lisp structure
implementation.  The slot and facet access functions have comparable
speed to the Slisp slot access functions.  It has some of the Framekit
and SRL functionality, such as facets, demons, and user-defined
relations.  However, like Loops, it makes a distinction between classes
and instances.  This means that instances can only be an instance of one
class, while classes may be subclasses of (have an is-a relation with)
more than one class.  Instances may not have any slots that their
classes don't have.  Classes describe a way to make instances, and
instances only participate in the frame network through their classes.
Parmenides is implemented in Common Lisp, so it is assumed that the user
is familiar with this dialect of Lisp.

  Other features of Parmenides include multiple language messages and
user-defined relations.

	AVAILABILITY

  Parmenides and Frulekit are available at no charge (or for the cost of
making a tape) for people and institutions who wish to use it on a
non-profit basis.  If somebody plans to use it in a commercial
application, we can work out an arrangement.  Please indicate whether
you plan to use it in a non-profit or profit way, and we will send you
the appropriate forms to sign, after which time we can send you the software.
Also please indicate if you can recieve the software by FTP, by
cartridge or magtape.


KEYWORDS: Frame language, is-a hierarchy, inheritance

CONTACT: send email to pshell@cmu.edu (internet) or contact Barbara Moore,
Center for Machine Translation, Carnegie Mellow University, 5000 Forbes Ave.,
Pgh, PA  15213.  412-268-6591


RELATED SYSTEM:  I would also suggest that you include on the CD-ROM
FRulekit, a CommonLisp frame-based rete production system which uses
Parmenides as the working memory elements (i.e., the rules match against
and modify Parmenides frames).  Same contact info. and legal status.


DOCUMENTS:  We have both a Parmenides and Frulekit technical report at
the CMT and on-line in Scribe & Postscript.
