[developers] minor LKB code changes

[Ben Waldron]

Berthold Crysmann wrote:
> Berthold Crysmann wrote:
>
>> Ann Copestake wrote:
>>
>>> Summary:
>>>
>>> change to interface for `Apply all lex rules'.  info re algebra code
>>>
>>> Details:
>>>
>>> I have changed the interface function `Apply all lex rules' that can 
>>> be called
>>> from a display of a lexical entry.  Originally this produced 
>>> separate windows
>>> for each new feature structure - a very bad idea with a reasonable 
>>> number of
>>> lexical rules.
>>
>>> A couple of years ago, I changed it so it produced a summary of
>>> applications in a window with the format `lex-d + rule (+ rule)* = 
>>> new orth'.
>>> It applied recursively and was controlled only by
>>> *maximal-lex-rule-applications*.  But this is also a bad idea for 
>>> grammars such
>>> as the current ERG, which now have a rather large fanout of 
>>> punctuation rules
>>> given that *maximal-lex-rule-applications* is set to 7 by default 
>>> (and I
>>> believe that's fine for applying the morphology in the usual way).  
>>> So the
>>> interface now does not attempt recursive application, but the user 
>>> can click on
>>> a result and manually call `Apply all lex rules' again, and can 
>>> repeat this as
>>> often as desired.
>>
> Could this behaviour be toggled? Or configured by some variable? In 
> the German grammar orthography
> is done by a cascade of spelling rules, and I would like to be able to 
> quickly check whether the intended form is amongst those generated... 
> But, I can also imagine that I would not want all surface forms all 
> the time...
We had the same problem when working on the NorSource grammar. I added a 
hidden parameter which toggles this behaviour.

I've just checked in this code, so you can use it too. The parameter is 
*lex-rule-show-one-step*. It defaults to T, but if you set it to NIL you 
will see all morphological realisations. Of course, if there is a black 
hole in your morphology component you may then get sucked in...

What did you think of my proposal regarding the format of the "Apply all 
lex rules" list in GUI?

- Ben