ABSTRACT
The development of the knowledge-acquisition tool typically lags behind that of the expert system. This is because the implementation of the expert system must be fixed before the code generator of the knowledge-acquisition tool can be written. Ideally, the development of both systems should proceed in parallel, thereby reducing the overall development time of the expert system and its knowledge-acquisition tool. Furthermore, parallel development can ensure that both the expert system and the knowledge-acquisition tool are being designed to support each other’s operation. Consider that the expert system must be implemented to support knowledge acquisition; attempting to add knowledgeacquisition capabilities to an expert system after the system has been developed is, at best, very difficult, sometimes requiring the re-implementation of the expert system, and at worst it is impossible.
