Speaking the Same Language

Telescript lets you create agents that can represent your needs and preferences to other agents on the network. For example, to make a plane reservation, you cast the request as a Telescript agent and send it off to a booking service on the network. The Telescript engine at this service would execute your agent, find the least expensive flight for the date you want, and choose the best seat available, knowing that you prefer mid-plane window seats or rear aisle seats.

To perform such a feat, your agent has to know more than just how to find the booking service and how to transmit your preferences. It must be able to cast your requests into a form that is understandable to the service agent.

Telescript is a general-purpose language; it provides a framework for agent interaction, but it doesn't have built-in knowledge of airline reservations, medical databases, electronic shopping, and other services. These services each require a specialized vocabulary extension analogous to an API. At first, service providers will need to supply client agents that have the required vocabulary built-in. But the eventual goal is to develop a standard interface so that agents from a service provider can visit your system, make you aware of a new service and its options, and even deposit an appropriate client agent in your toolbox. Such "traveling salesperson" agents are a few years off but will greatly enhance the electronic marketplace that General Magic wants to create.