The Howdy Glossary

Planner, developed in 1969 at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, is a high-level, declarative programming language designed to tackle problems involving incomplete information through means-ends analysis. This method breaks down goals into smaller subgoals, enabling efficient problem-solving despite gaps in available data. Although Planner did not achieve widespread adoption, it significantly influenced later AI planners and languages such as Prolog and OPS5, which became integral to expert systems like CLIPS.

Planner's innovative features included its unique approach to goal satisfaction via means-ends analysis and its high-level declarative nature that allowed concise and intuitive expression of problem-solving strategies. These aspects distinguished Planner from other contemporaneous programming languages by offering structured and efficient methodologies for reasoning about complex problems. Even though it wasn't widely implemented, the concepts introduced by Planner left a lasting impact on artificial intelligence research and development.

As the field of AI progressed, competitors like Prolog and OPS5 emerged with distinct methodologies; Prolog leveraged logic programming with inference rules while OPS5 used production system-based reasoning for expert systems. Despite these alternatives gaining more traction in practical applications, Planner's focus on goal decomposition through means-ends analysis provided a unique competitive edge that continued to influence subsequent AI planners. Its strategic emphasis on structured problem-solving set new standards in AI technology development even without mainstream adoption.