ConfusingTypo < Main

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---+Grammar Engineering Frequently Asked Questions

---++I have a type/lexical entry/rule which doesn't seem to be inheriting a constraint from its supertype. What might be going on?

There are probably several possible causes for this, but here's one to look out for:
If you have a typo in a feature name at the very highest level of the feature structure (e.g., =SYSNEM= instead of =SYNSEM= in a lexical type), the LKB will simply posit a new feature.  Any constraints written below that feature will be ineffective, since nothing else in the grammar is looking for =SYSNEM=.  If you're particularly unlucky, the new feature will be ordered first, and you'll see what you're expecting to see when you do [[ViewType][View > Type]].  You'd only notice that there's also a feature =SYNSEM= (inherited from a supetype, with lots of constraints associated with it) if you scroll down in the type window.

---+++Related Topics

   * [[ViewType][How do I see what a type looks like with all of the constraints it inherits from supertypes?]]
   * [[ViewEntry][How do I look at fully specified lexical entries or rules?]]
   * [[NewFeature][I'm trying to add a new feature, and the LKB doesn't like it. What should I do?]] 

-- EmilyBender - 04 Nov 2004
Topic revision: r1 - 2004-11-04 - TWikiGuest