Prolog \Pro"log\, n. & v.
   Prologue.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	PROLOG \PRO"LOG\ (pr[=o]"l[o^]g), n. (Computers)
   A declarative higher-level programming language in which
   instructions are written not as explicit procedural
   data-manipulation commands, but as logical statements. The
   language has built-in resolution procedures for logical
   inference.
   [PJC]

	

	higher programming language \higher programming language\ n.
   (Computers)
   A computer programming language with an instruction set
   allowing one instruction to code for several assembly
   language instructions.

   Note: The aggregation of several assembly-language
         instructions into one instruction allows much greater
         efficiency in writing computer programs. Most programs
         are now written in some higher programming language,
         such as BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C, C++,
         PROLOG, or JAVA.
         [PJC]

	

	Prolog
     n : a computer language designed in Europe to support natural
         language processing [syn: logic programing, logic
         programming]

	

	PROLOG
     PROgramming in LOGic

	

	Prolog
     
         Programming in Logic or (French) Programmation
        en Logique.  The first of the huge family of logic
        programming languages.
     
        Prolog was invented by Alain Colmerauer and Phillipe Roussel
        at the University of Aix-Marseille in 1971.  It was first
        implemented 1972 in ALGOL-W.  It was designed originally for
        natural-language processing but has become one of the most
        widely used languages for artificial intelligence.
     
        It is based on LUSH (or SLD) resolution theorem
        proving and unification.  The first versions had no
        user-defined functions and no control structure other than the
        built-in depth-first search with backtracking.  Early
        collaboration between Marseille and Robert Kowalski at
        University of Edinburgh continued until about 1975.
     
        Early implementations included C-Prolog, ESLPDPRO,
        Frolic, LM-Prolog, Open Prolog, SB-Prolog, UPMAIL
        Tricia Prolog.  In 1998, the most common Prologs in use are
        Quintus Prolog, SICSTUS Prolog, LPA Prolog, SWI
        Prolog, AMZI Prolog, SNI Prolog.
     
        ISO draft standard at Darmstadt, Germany
        (ftp://ftp.th-darmstadt.de/pub/programming/languages/prolog/standard/).
        or UGA, USA (ftp://ai.uga.edu/ai.prolog.standard).
     
        See also negation by failure, Kamin's interpreters,
        Paradigms of AI Programming, Aditi.
     
        A Prolog interpreter in Scheme.
        (ftp://cpsc.ucalgary.ca/pub/prolog1.1).
     
        A Prolog package
        (ftp://cpsc.ucalgary.ca/pub/prolog1.1/prolog11.tar.Z) from
        the University of Calgary features delayed goals and
        interval arithmetic.  It requires Scheme with
        continuations.
     
        ["Programming in Prolog", W.F. Clocksin & C.S. Mellish,
        Springer, 1985].
     
        (2001-04-01)

	

	Prolog++
     
        (After C++) Prolog with object-oriented features added
        by Phil Vasey of Logic Programming Associates.  Prolog++ is
        available for MS-DOS and the X Window System.  It is
        distributed by AI International Ltd. in England and by
        Quintus.