Zhou J. The NCL Natural Constraint Language 2012

Textbook in PDF format

This introduction is a brief presentation of NCL (Natural Constraint Language) and its software platform POEMR (Programming in Operational and Expressive Models). After reading this chapter, readers will have a clear idea about the main features of NCL. Section 1.1 gives a quick overview of some systems for modeling and solving. At the solver level, a new algorithmic framework called “Mixed Set Programming” is proposed. At the parser level, “Semantic Parser” based on context analysis and implicit typing is presented. Section 1.2 presents the NCL language and its main features in terms of “Natural Modeling”, “Mixed Set Programming” and “Search Rules”. The basic differences between NCL and some other systems are discussed. Section 1.3 presents the software platform POEM, which integrates NCL and visualization facilities for developing industrial solutions