Flora-2

Flora-2 is an open source semantic rule-based system for knowledge representation and reasoning. The language of the system is derived from F-logic,^[1] HiLog,^[2] and Transaction logic.^[3] Being based on F-logic and HiLog implies that object-oriented syntax and higher-order representation are the major features of the system. Flora-2 also supports a form of defeasible reasoning called Logic Programming with Defaults and Argumentation Theories (LPDA).^[4] Applications include intelligent agents, Semantic Web, knowledge-bases networking, ontology management, integration of information, security policy analysis, automated database normalization, and more.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Flora-2 relies on the XSB system for its inference engine. The design and architecture of Flora-2 are described in a number of works.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Details of the system and its use are described in the Flora-2 User's Manual.^[15] Flora-2 is available for all major computing platforms, including Linux and other flavors of Unix, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X.

History

Flora-2 is a successor to the Flora system (1998–1999) and incorporates the experience gained developing and using the original Flora system. The Flora-2 project started around year 2000 by Guizhen Yang and Michael Kifer. In later years it was led by Michael Kifer and had many other contributors.

Projects using Flora-2

• TaOPiS is a social semantic Web application for supporting self-organizing communities.^[16][17][18]
• Baze is a database development environment similar to Access and Base.
• ReasonablePython is a module which adds F-Logic to Python.^[19]
• The FRDCSA project is developing an extension to the Perl XSB interface for supporting access to Flora-2 and HiLog from Perl and the FreeKBS3 system.