An expansion syntax that creates a set of expressions in software code is disclosed. The syntax includes one or more expansion constructs embedded within a software code expression, interpreted by an expansion function to create a set of expanded expressions. Each construct includes an expansion syntax indicator and a plurality of list parameters, which may be start, end, step, and skip integers, or strings of non-white space. Both constructs may include either default or expressly assigned list...

A structured document system for generating, from a single set of parts of speech entered into a computer, alternative forms of documents with different formats and syntaxes using the same set of parts of speech. For each set of parts of speech, a record is created which includes alternative forms of the verb, alternative forms of any product contained in the sentence, and a statement of the requirement level as mandatory, recommended, or optional. A document is defined by specifying step levels...

A pointing device-driven interface apparatus and method for enabling a user to enter data (in the form of options) into a computer system. User data files are maintained which indicate the relative frequency with which the user has entered sequences of options. The sequences are of a predetermined length. The user data is consulted to predict the most likely options to be entered next by the user. These options are presented to the user on a template. A stroke made by the user with the pointing ...

An educational system for teaching and learning English grammar and syntax comprising a plurality of sets of individually manipulable members, preferably cards, each representing a word. Each set comprises a plurality of identical members and the members from each set are distinguishable with respect to their color and shape taken together from the members of every other set. The color of each member is informative to the student of the use of the member in a sentence. The shape of each member i...

A system for displaying instruction syntax help information to a user as instructions are entered into an editor or other tool. The instruction syntax is presented with the next parameter in the instruction highlighted to prompt the user for entry 6f that parameter. A database of instructions and their syntax is provided to facilitate efficient search and retrieval of the instruction syntax for each instruction of the language.

A digital computer system in which a series of programming series are processed and in which the structure of the programming statements must conform of a predetermined set of syntax criteria to permit processing. A programming statement is compiled in response to a computer input and displayed. The structure of the statement is examined in accordance with a predetermined statement of syntax rules. On the display selected color indicia are assigned to each character within the statement when it ...

Disclosed is a communication transport message format for carrying control information, relevant only to a transport system and end user data. The end user data is prefixed by a length field. The length field is set to a value representing the number of bytes of user data plus the size of the length field. A bit in the length field is used as a "continuation" or more-to-come indicator. Length field values that are less than the number of bytes of the length field are used to prefix control infor...

A programming language syntax that embeds object type declaration in the object name. The objects are self-documenting because its object type is embedded in each object. In one embodiment, the object type-declaration prefix precedes the object name and explicitly declares the object type information. For example, a SQL object FirstName, may be implemented as SQL@FirstName, a URL object may be implemented as URL@FirstName, environment object from an environment table may be implemented as ENV@us...

A system for analyzing syntax in a language processing system includes a memory which stores preselected indentation rules associated with a source code level language. A lexical analyzer reads a sequence of input symbols from the source code, and divides them into tokens, which tokens form sequences of symbols having a collective meaning. A syntax analyzer receives information from the tokens and compares the same to indentation rules stored in the memory. Source code correction, suggested sour...

A pointing device-driven interface apparatus and method for enabling a user to enter data (in the form of options) into a computer system. User data files are maintained which indicate the relative frequency with which the user has entered sequences of options. The sequences are of a predetermined length. The user data is consulted to predict the most likely options to be entered next by the user. These options are presented to the user on a template. A stroke made by the user with the pointing ...