Hi folks! I have created a chatbot using AIML. I have few queries regarding AIML.

1) What is difference between AIML and database?

2) Can we perform the tasks of AIML in some database (SQL, ORACLE etc) ?

Good day, Qaisar Khan.

When you get right down to it, AIML itself is actually a database. It’s indexed/searched by <pattern>, <that> and <topic>. So essentially, and in ways that actually matter, there’s not much difference. Now of course things aren’t actually that simple, and there are complexities and nuances involved with using various databases (MySQL, for example), and there’s the issue of maintaining multiple AIML files vresus a single database, but the core concept is still to store information that can be searched and retrieved.

As a “real world” example, take a look at Program O. It uses a MySQL database to hold the AIML categories for access and manipulation and it works rather well this way. This can be compared to another chatbot engine (Program AB) that uses a data object called a “GraphMaster” to contain and access the AIML categories. Each uses very different approaches to the same goal, but they both get the job done.

So in answer to your second question, yes. You can perform the same tasks in a traditional database that you can do with AIML, and even more. It all depends on your specific needs and skill level. I hope this helps.

Yes, you can definitely use AIML like a database. In fact, I gave a presentation at the Chatbots 3.2 conference in Philadelphia explaining exactly that. My slides are on this page: http://alicebot.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/chatbots-32-conference-report.html

Using my technique, you can ask your bot questions like, “Name something red that starts with T”, you will get:
tomato
tongue
tractor
tulip

assuming you have the data to start with
This is a thousand times easier than trying to hard code every possible combination and is what I use in Mitsuku to work out the silly, “Is a house bigger than a cat?” type questions.

Interesting topic.

Just thinking out loud…

AIML is a metalanguage for a chatbot.

SQL is a metalanguage for a database.

So, a chatbot database has two metalanguages.

What do you think?