[Corpora-List] Newbie help - language parsing, Python, Java, etc.

[Brian Parkinson]

Hello:

I am starting a hobby type application at home - essentially, I'd want
to be able to control the X.10 devices in my home (lights, switches,
etc) with some 'English' commands.

What I want to do is be able to type stuff like "turn the hall light
on" or "turn all lights off" - that sort of thing. The main intention
is to learn about this stuff - doesn't have to be anything "fancy" in
the end - I just want to putter in this area.

Eventually, I'd like to hook up speech recognition software so I can
talk to the house as it were. Likely IBM's ViaVoice.

I am on a Mac (OS X) and have extensive experience with programming
(Java, C/C++, Python, Perl - that sort of thing). I have the interface
from Java to the X.10 devices sorted out, but the whole arena of
natural language processing is new and daunting - note that I am not by
any stretch trying to tackle "real" speech or to gramatically parse any
given sentence - I am happy with a specific grammar which hopefully I
could extend as time goes on.

I'd like to be cross platform - this is a bit of a goal.

The nltk library (Python) looks promising, but there is no "English-y"
grammar that is supplied - this is the framework to put together
something like this, but contains not even really a Hello World type
example that I could start using. So I am a bit stymied.

Is there anyone on the list that might be able to help with nltk
(supply a Hello World type example) or point me in a better direction?
Perhaps there are some Perl or Java English parsers available. And any
hints/suggestions or good dox to read to help out would be especially
helpful.

Back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

Thanks,

parki...