Knowledge Representation and Validation in a Decision Support System: Introducing a Variability Modelling Technique - Efficient Decision Support Systems: Practice and Challenges from Current to Future - page 36

Constraint dependency rules
The following six predicates are used to describe constraint dependency rules:
requires_c_c:
Syntax: requires_c_c(Name1, Name2).
Semantic: choice requires another choice. Name1 represents the first choice and Name2
represents the required choice, e.g. requires_c_c(promotion decision, recognition).
excludes_c_c:
Syntax: excludes_c_c (Name1, Name2).
Semantic: choice excludes choice. Name1 represents the first choice and Name2 represents the
excluded choice, e,g. excludes_c_c(decrease level, high level).
requires_c_dp:
Syntax: requires_c_dp(Name1, Name2).
Semantic: Choice requires decision point. Name1 represents the choice and Name2 represents
the required decision point, e.g. requires_c_dp(promotion decision, positive performance).
excludes_c_dp:
Syntax: excludes_c_dp(Name1, Name2).
Semantic: Choice excludes decision point. Name1 represents the choice and Name2
represents the excluded decision point, e.g. excludes_c_dp(non promotion decision, positive
performance).
requires_dp_dp:
Syntax: requires_dp_dp(Name1, Name2).
Semantic: Decision point requires another decision point. Name1 represents the first decision
point and Name2 represents the required decision point, e.g. requires_dp_dp(negative
performance, punishment).
excludes_dp_dp:
Syntax: excludes_dp_dp(Name1, Name2).
Semantic: Decision point excludes another decision point. Name1 represents the first
decision point and Name2 represents the excluded d on p in , . .

excludes_dp_dp(negative performance, positive performance)

type(negative performance, decisionpoint).
choiceof(negative performance, time on).
choiceof(negative performance, N% salary).
common(negative performance, no).
min(negative performance, 1).
max(negative performance, 2).
requires_dp_dp(negative performance, punishment).
excludes_dp_dp(negative performance, positive performance).

Table 2. Representation of Negative Performance
In addition to these predicates, we define two more predicates select and notselect . The select
predicate is assigned for all selected choices. The notselect predicate prevents the choice from