This implies that, when one considers a certain rule, one can be sure that preceding rules were not applicable.
For example, a predicate max computing the maximum of two integers (using the built-in predicates ge and lt for the relations greater-or-equal and less-than) that is defined by
'rule' max(X, Y -> X): ge(X, Y) 'rule' max(X, Y -> Y): lt(X, Y)could also have been written as
'rule' max(X, Y -> X): ge(X, Y) 'rule' max(X, Y -> Y)because the second rule is only used when X is less than Y. The disadvantage is that now the rule cannot be understood in isolation.
This style is often used for abbreviation. For example, a predicate kind that maps the set of letters a, b, c, ... , z onto the constants vowl or consonant can be written is this way:
'rule' kind(a -> vowl) 'rule' kind(e -> vowl) 'rule' kind(i -> vowl) 'rule' kind(o -> vowl) 'rule' kind(u -> vowl) 'rule' kind(Other -> consonant)where the last rule replaces 21 rules dealing with consonants. Since none of the first five rules was applicable, we know that Other is a consonant.