super newbie

[hempknot]

Basically i want my verbot to serve as a personal assistant.

What is the best way to start learning the "how to's" of this program? I know nothing of c# - i have little programming experience - but I do understand the basics.

I guess where do I start? I really want to understand and use this program - it seems like something that would really help me.

[leseur sylvain]

Welcome here Hempknot.

Basic Windows usage information and act as a Windows O/S tutorial
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... file_id=39

Personal Assistant
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... &file_id=4

Teacher KnowledgeBase
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... file_id=73

A conveniant list of rules and traps. A kind of "compil"
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=122

A small collection of rules that use CSharp code.
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... file_id=80

Very interresting file...vcm contains code for some useful functions
and KB demonstrates above and has some useful techniques. (not easy)
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=193

Daisy an excellent learning Mode. (not easy)
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=190

4 little characters else than Sylvia Julia etc... In .CCS format.
to use online.
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=182

If you are in front of a blank page... If not ideas, or at the oposite
to much ideas... It's the file you need.
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=184

If you like stars.
http://www.verbots.com/forums/dload.php ... ile_id=160


Else, the best thing you can do is to ask here specific questions.

Friendly
Sylvain

Whe i say "not easy", it's not easy for me.

[JonC]

Hempknot:
Sylvain has given a lot of pointers here to useful kbs and stuff.

One main decision is how do you want your Verbot to act?

There are two main approaches (though they should be considered as the extremes of a 'sliding scale' rather than exclusive alternatives).

1. The "expert system" approach:
In this you would write a 'comprehensive' kb and the Verbot would then respond from this repertoire when you interacted with it. A common example of this would be the automated telephone systems that only allow you to select between options you don't want, but a Verbot can be made so much better!

2. The "learning approach". In this case the Verbot starts off not knowing anything and, by you talking to it, slowly learns what you want, what it is to do etc.

Each technique has its +s and -s. The first is rather rigid - the Verbot can't respond outside the parameters set, but if well programmed can act very reliably and correctly within them.
The second is very frustrating at first - because you ar talking to a 'baby' and it can/will appear irrational; as well as being unable to do anything.
Another problem is that if it is 'fed' contradictory information this can really mess up its responses until you correct the knowledge base. (They can be told to unlearn btw.)

Let me declare my interest: I come at this from the "expert systems" end rather than what I sometimes call the "Idiot-savant" system (to denote where it starts and - hopefully - ends.)

For a personal assistant, my approach (assuming that none of the kbs on the forum did {most of} what I wanted)would probably be to try to progam a lot of what I wanted in (expert system - no surprise there), but also I would include the learning capability so that the Verbot could be instructed (without kb re-writing) to learn new things.

As for c#: you may not need to write much: the Verbot itself is programmed via its own interface and only uses c# in "snippets" in the rules. You may well find the functions you want in various Verbot Code Modules (.vcm) files that are available on the forum via the downloads section.

Above all, if you get stuck - ask! As I well know, there are helpful folk on the forum who will assist.