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Functions

1.
retrieveField(FieldName, Structure): returns the filler for FieldName in Structure, if Structure contains a FieldName, otherwise NULL.

2.
retrieveUtterance(DE): returns the Spanish utterance from DE, if one exists, otherwise NULL.

3.
dateCopy(TU): Copies the start dates of a TU to their corresponding end dates. The function returns the modified TU and a CF, as a tuple. The CF is based on the combination of fields copied.

4.
distanceFactor(DE): Returns a number reflecting how far back on the focus list DE is.

5.
futureRange($N\_ILT$): Returns a range in the future consistent with the ILT. For instance, ``second week in August'', interpreted as the second Monday through the following Friday in August, closest in the future. If successful, a new TU is returned, otherwise, NULL.

6.
last(timeValue, RF): returns the last timeValue before reference frame RF.
Ex: last( week, [Tues 20 Aug 1996]  
  Mon-Fri, 12-16th, August, 1996  

7.
lastFLRange(timeValue, N): N is either '1', or '2'. If N = '1' then lastFLRange returns the TU on the focus list that most closely matches timeValue from the focus list. If N = '2', one matching TU on the list is skipped.

8.
merge(TU1, TU2): if there exist conflicting fields in TU1 and TU2, return NULL. Otherwise return a TU which contains the union of all fields of TU1 and TU2.

9.
mergeUpper(TU1, TU2): the same as merge, except only fields of the same or less specific levels than the most specific field in TU1 are considered.

10.
mostSpecific(X, TU): X is either start, end, or both to indicate the starting time, end time, or both the starting and end time, respectively. The function returns the specificity level of the most specific field of TU, where month is level 1. Ex: mostSpecific(start, TU) returns the specificity level of the most specific field in the start time of TU, and mostSpecific(both, TU) returns the specificity level of the most specific field of the entire TU.

11.
next(timeValue, RF): returns the next timeValue that follows the reference frame RF.

12.
nextInclToday(timeValue, RF): Same as next, but this version considers ``today'' as a possibility.

13.
resolveDeictic(TU, todaysDate): resolves the deictic term TU with respect to the dialog date.
14.
applyRule(TU, RuleName [, subcase]): Invokes rule RuleName. Returns the return value of RuleName.

15.
this(timeValue): Returns the current timeValue with respect to the conversation date.
Ex: Dialog date is Thursday, 22th, August, 1996  
  ``This week has been long.'',  
  Returns Mon-Fri, 19th-23rd, August, 1996  

16.
isDeictic(TU): returns TRUE if TU contains deictic information, otherwise NULL.

17.
isRange(X, TU): returns TRUE, if TU is an X, where X = {week, day, time}, otherwise returns NULL.

18.
moreEquSpecific(TU1, TU2): returns TRUE if TU1 is either more specific than TU2, or if the two have the same level of specificity, otherwise, NULL.

19.
moreSpecificLow(TU1, TU2): same as moreEqu Specific, but only tests levels of less or equal specificity as time_of_day.


next up previous
Next: Typographic Conventions Up: Introduction Previous: Abbreviations