VP-Expert is an artificial intelligence development tool that gained popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Published by Paperback Software, VP-Expert was designed to facilitate the creation of rule-based expert systems, primarily for applications in business and industry.[1][2] It was the best-selling expert-system software for microcomputers in the late 1980s.
| VP-Expert | |
|---|---|
 Cover of VP-Expert software | |
| Original author | Brian Sawyer |
| Developer | Paperback Software |
| Initial release | 1987 |
| Stable release |
/ 1993 |
| Operating system | MS-DOS |
| Type | Expert System Development Tool |
| License | Proprietary |
History
editVP-Expert was created by Brian Sawyer and published by Paperback Software in 1987.[3] VP-Expert was widely adopted during the late 1980s. By April 1989, InfoWorld described it as "the best-selling expert-system software for personal computers."[4]
In June 1991, ownership of VP-Expert transferred from Paperback Software to WordTech Systems, Inc.[5] following Paperback Software’s liquidation after a legal dispute with Lotus Development Corporation regarding its VP-Planner spreadsheet.[6] VP-Expert continued to receive positive reviews with InfoWorld stating in 1992 "for automatically creating simple expert systems and being able to edit them into more sophisticated applications, hardly a better product exists than VP-Expert".[7]
Features
editVP-Expert used an inference engine based on backward chaining to reach conclusions through English-like if/then rules. It operated through a text interface and included an explanation facility that showed the reasoning steps used to justify its conclusions.[8]
Applications
editVP-Expert found applications across various domains. In environmental analysis, researchers used VP-Expert to develop a knowledge-based system for analyzing the impact of particulate matter air pollution on human health.[9] In engineering design, VP-Expert was utilized in the creation of a prototype expert system to assist in fishway design.[10] In aviation management, the tool was employed to develop an expert system aimed at maximizing airport capacity while adhering to noise-mitigation plans.[11]
Limitations
editWhile VP-Expert offered certain advantages, it also had limitations. Its rule-based approach could become challenging to manage for large and complex knowledge bases,[8] and the process of eliciting and encoding knowledge from experts could be time-consuming and difficult.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Low Cost VP-Expert Shows what Expert Systems can do". InfoWorld. 23 March 1987.
- ^ "VP-Expert is Still One of the Best Shells". InfoWorld. 23 March 1992.
- ^ Vaccaro, J. M. (1990). "Personal computer (PC) thermal analyzer". Proceedings of the 28th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference. Association for Computing Machinery. p. 770. doi:10.1145/98894.98928.
"… an expert system shell (i.e. VP Expert: Developed by Brian Sawyer, Editor portion by Idea Ware Inc., Published by Paperback Software International, 1987)."
- ^ "PC Expert Systems Mature". InfoWorld. 24 April 1989. p. 41. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "Close of Business". InfoWorld. July 8, 1991. p. 104.
- ^ Gantz, John (June 19, 1989). "AI Might Find an Alternate Life as a Programming Language". InfoWorld. p. 46.
- ^ Frayer, Alan (March 23, 1992). "VP-Expert Is Still One of the Best Shells". InfoWorld. pp. 94–96. ProQuest 194265573.
- ^ a b c John Durkin (1994). Expert Systems: Design and Development. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0023309709.
- ^ Oprea, Mihaela (2017). "Development of a knowledge based system for analyzing particulate matter air pollution effects on human health". Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. 16 (3): 669–676. Bibcode:2017EEMJ...16..669O. doi:10.30638/eemj.2017.068.
- ^ Bender, Michael J.; Katopodis, Chris; Simonovic, Slobodan P. (1992). "A prototype expert system for fishway design". Springer. 23 (1–3): 115–127. Bibcode:1992EMnAs..23..115B. doi:10.1007/BF00406956.
- ^ "Use of a Knowledge-Based Expert System to Maximize Airport Capacity in Harmony with Noise-Mitigation Plans" (PDF). Transportation Research Record.