This manual is the Basic Programming Guide for CLIPS. It is intended for users interested in the syntax of CLIPS. No previous expert system background is required, although a general understanding of computer languages is assumed. Section 2 of this manual provides an overview of the CLIPS language and basic terminology. Sections 3 through 11 provide additional details regarding the CLIPS programming language on topics such as rules and the CLIPS Object Oriented Programming Language (COOL). The types of actions and functions provided by CLIPS are defined in section 12. Finally, commands typically used from the CLIPS interactive interface are described in section 13.

The Basic Programming Guide documents just the basic CLIPS syntax. More advanced capabilities, such as userdefined functions, embedded applications, etc., are documented more fully in the Advanced Programming Guide. The Advanced Programming Guide is intended for users who have a complete knowledge of the CLIPS syntax and a programming background. It is not necessary to read the Advanced Programming Guide to learn how to use CLIPS. CLIPS can be learned and simple expert systems can be built with the information provided in this manual.