TITLE: A Pattern Language for Structuring State-Space Search Applications

AUTHORS:  Philip W. L. Fong 
	  Edward Kim
	  Qiang Yang

CONTACT: Edward Kim
EMAIL:   kime@cs.sfu.ca
ADDRESS: Edward Kim
	 ISG Lab
	 School of Computing Science
	 Simon Fraser University
	 Burnaby, B. C. 
	 V5A 1S6
PHONE:   (604)291-5673  (voice)
	 (604)291-3045  (fax)

ABSTRACT:
Frequent shift of representation, high demand for flexible composition,
and obscurity in module boundary make reusing Artificial Intelligence
techniques extremely nontrivial.  In this paper, we summarized our 
experience of building reusable heuristic search applications in a 
system of design patterns.  Together the patterns describe a framework
for constructing search-based software.  The design results in highly
composible components, each describing an independent search technique
that can be reused across multiple search domain.