Commodity Classification Expert System

During 1989 and 1990 the Commodity Classification Expert System (ES) was developed for the US Department of Commerce. This object-oriented program develops a person/computer dialogue that simulates the process an expert would use to determine if a high tech commodity could be exported. New users had problems matching regulation subsection headings with data on the manufacturer's data sheet. The dual problem of searching both the regulation and the spec sheet for matching words was sometimes frustrating. This problem was reduced, but not solved, by adding a commercial program that could search the regulations, providing examples of the subsection headings, and providing definitions of technical terms. >