DECAF Language Specification
----------------------------

Rules:
  * Each kind of object has its own unique type. Types Currently supported:
	- deftask
	- defaction
	- library
	- NLT
	- provides

  * The entire definition of an object consists of attribute/value pairs.

  * Attribute name start with a ':' followed by a keyword. Current Attributes
	:name		- applies to all objects
	:parent		- applies to all non-root objects
	:parameters	- applies to all objects
	:provisions	- applies to all objects
	:outcomes	- applies to all objects
	:behavior_profile	- applies to defaction objects only
	:utility_function	- applies to root task only
	:caf		- applies to defaction objects only
	:deadline	- applies to defaction objects only
	:from		- applies to provides objects only
	:to		- applies to provides objects only

  * The value for each attribute is a list of one or more items in quotes
    and the list is enclosed in parentheses. If a particular attribute has no
    value, then the word "NONE" will appear.

  * Objects can appear in any order.  References to objects defined
    later are allowed. 

  * There are no such thing as comment lines. This is true since we do expect
    DECAF files to be generated by hand, only through the planeditor.

  * Data types of all values are in parentheses after the attribute
    name.  Symbol means an arbitrary sequence of alphanumeric characters
    with no internal spaces or '-' (dashes).


Details
-------
- Provides indicates a data flow from one action/task to another.
- the syntax is :from ("actionName.OutcomeName) :to (ActionName.ProvisionName)
- Note outcomes cannot be inflow to a parameter, only a provision.

(provides
    :from ("sendReply.OK")
    :to ("Reply.OK")
)

- defaction is the basic unit of work. It represents a method in a java class
- The method code will be found in a file of the action parents name. In this
- example you would find Send.java and the method result().
- All actions will have NO children.

(defaction
    :name ("result")
    :parent ("Send")
    :children ("NONE")
    :parameters ("NOPROV")
    :provisions ("input")
    :outcomes ("OK")
    :behavior_profile (:cost "NONE" :quality "NONE" :duration "NONE")
    :utility_function ("NONE")
    :caf ("AND")
)

- A non-local-task is a representation for send a message to an outside entity.
- ALL NLT will be coded as below with no more or less fields. This code is
- built internally by DECAF and does not represent user code. Input id always
- a KQML message (one or more) and the outcome is a KQML message.

(NLT
    :name ("sendReply")
    :parent ("Reply")
    :parameters ("NOPROV")
    :provisions ("KQML")
    :outcomes ("OK")
)

- A deftask structure is a representation of a group of actions. All tasks except the
- root task will have a parent. All tasks must have one or more children. The name of the
- task is used for the name of the java file where the actions will be found.

(deftask
    :name ("Send")
    :parent ("NONE")
    :children ("formatMsg"
                 "sendMsg"
                 "result")
    :parameters ("NOPROV")
    :provisions ("NOPROV")
    :outcomes ("OK")
    :behavior_profile (:cost "NONE" :quality "NONE" :duration "NONE")
    :utility_function ("NONE")
    :caf ("AND")
)


- A library entry has only one parameter, the name. It is assumed that 
- this is pre-written code which can be called by the DECAF architecture
- in a fashion similar to C library calls. Parameters are predefined
- as well as outcomes.

(library
    :name ("Unsubscribe")
)

- The behavior_profile applies ONLY to actions and not tasks The three
- values of cost, quality and duration are used internally by DECAF to
- reason about action scheduling.

    :behavior_profile (:cost "NONE" :quality "NONE" :duration "NONE")

- The utility_function is used ONLY by the root task. It is an indication
- by the user of how results are to be used.

    :utility_function ("NONE")

- The caf (Characteristic Accumulation Function) applies ONLY to Task
- and is an indication of how sub-task and action results are to be used.
- Choices for this are AND (default), OR, XOR, and SUM.

    :caf ("AND")