gf-core/doc/gf-course.txt

Graduate Course: GF (Grammatical Framework)
Aarne Ranta
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[GSLT   http://www.gslt.hum.gu.se],
[NGSLT  http://ngslt.org/],
and 
[Department of Computer Science and Engineering http://www.chalmers.se/cse/EN/], 
Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University.

Autumn Term 2007.


=News=

24/10 Tomorrow's session starts at 8.15. A detailed plan has been added to
the table below. Material (new chapters) will appear later today. 
It will explain some of the files in
- [``syntax/`` http://digitalgrammars.com/gf/examples/tutorial/syntax/]:
  linguistic grammar programming
- [``semantics/`` http://digitalgrammars.com/gf/examples/tutorial/semantics/]:
  a question-answer system based on logical semantics



12/9 The course starts tomorrow at 8.00. A detailed plan for the day is
right below. Don't forget to
- join the mailing list (send a mail to ``gf-subscribe at gslt hum gu se``)
- install GF on your laptops from [here ../download.html]
- take with you a copy of the book (as sent to the mailing list yesterday)


31/8 Revised the description of the one- and five-point variants.

21/8 Course mailing list started. 
To subscribe, send a mail to ``gf-subscribe at gslt hum gu se`` 
(replacing spaces by dots except around the word at, where the spaces 
are just removed, and the word itself is replaced by the at symbol).

20/8/2007 [Schedule http://www.gslt.hum.gu.se/courses/schedule.html].
The course will start on Thursday 13 September in Room C430 at the Humanities
Building of Gothenburg University ("Humanisten").


=Plan=

First week (13-14/9)

|| Time            | Subject      | Assignment                       ||
| Thu 8.00-9.30    | Chapters 1-3 | Hello and Food in a new language  |
| Thu 10.00-11.30  | Chapters 3-4 | Foods in a new language           |
| Thu 13.15-14.45  | Chapter 5    | ExtFoods in a new language        |
| Thu 15.15-16.45  | Chapters 6-7 | straight code compiler            |
| Fri  8.00-9.30   | Chapters 8   | application in Haskell or Java    |

Second week (25/10)

|| Time            | Subject        | Assignment                       ||
| Thu 8.15-9.45    | Chapters 13-15 | mini resource in a new language   |
| Thu 10.15-11.45  | Chapters 12,16 | query system for a new domain     |
| Thu 13.15-14.45  | presentations  | explain your own project          |



The structure of each lecture will be the following:
- ca. 75min lecture, going through the book
- ca. 15min work on computer, individually or in pairs


In order for this to work out, it is important that enough many
have a working GF installation, including the directory
[``examples/tutorial`` ../examples/tutorial]. This directory is
included in the Darcs version, as well as in the updated binary
packages from 12 September.



=Purpose=

[GF http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~aarne/GF/]
(Grammatical Framework) is a grammar formalism, i.e. a special-purpose
programming language for writing grammars. It is suitable for many
natural language processing tasks, in particular,
- multilingual applications
- systems where grammar-based components are needed for e.g.
  parsing, translation, or speech recognition


The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of GF and 
practical skills in using it.


=Contents=

The course consists of two modules. The first module is a one-week
intensive course (during the first intensive week of GSLT), which
is as such usable as a one-week intensive course for doctoral studies,
if completed with a small course project.

The second module is a larger programming project, written
by each student (possibly working in groups) during the Autumn term.
The projects are discussed during the second intensive week of GSLT
(see [schedule http://www.gslt.hum.gu.se/courses/schedule.html]),
and presented at a date that will be set later.

The first module goes through the basics of GF, including
- using the GF programming language
- writing multilingual grammars
- using the 
  [GF resource grammar library http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~aarne/GF/lib/resource-1.0/doc/]
- generating speech recognition systems from GF grammars
- using embedded grammars as components of software systems


The lectures follow a draft of GF book. It contains a heavily updated
version os the
[GF Tutorial http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~aarne/GF/doc/tutorial/gf-tutorial2.html];
thus the on-line tutorial is not adequate for this course. To get the course
book, join the course mailing list.

Those who just want to do the first module will write a simple application
as their course work during and after the first intensive week.

Those who continue with the second module will choose a more substantial
project. Possible topics are
- building a dialogue system by using GF
- implementing a multilingual document generator 
- experimenting with synthetized multilingual tree banks
- extending the GF resource grammar library



=Prerequisites=

Experience in programming. No earlier natural language processing
or functional programming experience is necessary.

The course is thus suitable both for GSLT and NGSLT students,
and for graduate students in computer science.

We will in particular welcome students from the Baltic countries
who wish to build resources for their own language in GF.