Marketplace
-----------

This is an electronic marketplace application using
seven IAgent-based intelligent agents.  It also 
makes use of a new IAgent base class called 
'IAgentMessage' which is modeled after a standard
KQML message packet.

The main points of this application include:

* The Marketplace application consists of a single
  'FacilitatorAgent', one or more 'BuyerAgents', 
  and one or more 'SellerAgents'.  There are three
  types of Buyer and SellerAgents using increasingly 
  better negotiating strategies.

* All communications between the Buyers and Sellers
  went through the Facilitator using KQML-like objects
  called 'IAgentMessages'.  These messages include 
  KQML-performatives such as 'register', 'advertise',
  'unadvertise', 'recommend-one', 'ask', and 'tell'.
  Application-specific performatives include 'make-offer',
  'accept-offer', and 'reject-offer'.

* The sales negotiation protocol was defined, giving the
  'SellerAgent' more control over the process.  The
  'BasicNegotiation' class was introduced to encapsulate
  the details of each translation.  An 'Offer' consists
  of the agent name, the item, a unique item id generated
  by the SellerAgent at the start of a negotiation, and 
  the offer price.

* The 'BestBuyerAgent' and 'BestSellerAgent' used the 
  'RuleBase', 'Rule', and 'Clause' classes from 
  forward/backward chaining applet developed earlier 
  (see URL refence below), along with enhancements such 
  as 'EffectorClauses' to represent the negotiation
  strategy in rule form, and directly send the reply
  messages using action rules.


To see the application in action you have to compile the 
application java file using:  

	javac Marketplace.java

and produce 23 class files, apart from the 4 IAgent base 
classes, resulting with:

BuyerAgent.java
BestBuyerAgent.java
BetterBuyerAgent.java
SellerAgent.java
BetterSellerAgent.java
BestSellerAgent.java
Marketplace.class
FacilitatorAgent.java
IAgent.class
BasicNegotiation.java
IAgentEvent.java
IAgentEventListener.java
Effector.java
Sensor.java
SensorClause.java
EffectorClause.java
Clause.java
RuleBase.java
Offer.java
FacilitatorAgent.class
AboutMarketplaceDialog.java
Condition.java
Rule.java
IAgentEventListener.class
IAgent.java
IAgentMessage.java
Marketplace$SymAction.class
RuleVariable.java
Marketplace$windowEvents.class
BuyerAgent.class
BetterBuyerAgent.class
BestBuyerAgent.class
Effector.class
SellerAgent.class
Variable.java
QuitDialog.java
BetterSellerAgent.class
BestSellerAgent.class
AboutMarketplaceDialog.class
AboutMarketplaceDialog$SymAction.class
AboutMarketplaceDialog$windowEvents.class
QuitDialog.class
QuitDialog$SymAction.class
Fact.java
QuitDialog$windowEvents.class
IAgentMessage.class
IAgentEvent.class
BasicNegotiation.class
Offer.class
RuleVariable.class
Variable.class
Condition.class
Clause.class
Marketplace.java


Then run the application by issueing the command:

	java Marketplace


Note:  This code was tested using JDK1.1.8 which can be 
downloaded and installed from the site:

http://staff.um.edu.mt/mmon1/lectures/java

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MM2000