]> 1996-08-01T00:00:00-05:00 The research presented here finalizes the specification of KQML and provides semantics for the language. The accompanying code shows how this research can be used to build KQML agents that make use of all of the powerful features of KQML. Thus, we offer the research community a completely defined communication language that can be used for knowledge exchange between software agents. Also, our research offers methods for: (1) a speech act theory--based semantic description of a language of communication acts, and (2) the specification of the protocols associated with these acts. Languages of communication acts address the issue of communication between software applications at a level of abstraction that could prove particularly useful to the emerging software agents paradigm of software design and developement. ]]> sL0YFX0a04QJ 198