This is a simple implementation that allows the Python Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) to be called as a REST service. The package can be installed via pip and/or via setuptools.

Note: nltkrest is compatible with python2.7 only due to its dependency on nltk_contrib.

1. Just run pip install --process-dependency-links nltkrest

Please note, that b/c of the NLTK Contrib fork that we depend on and overall the fork and its upstreams unavailability in PyPI, we have to use dependency_links, which may not be supported in pip in the future. You may need to pass the --process-dependency-links to pip in order to install the software.

1. Just run python setup.py install

After installation you will have a command called nltk-server. By default it starts a REST server on port 8881. You can change the port by typing --port or -p. You can also turn on verbose mode by typing -v.

To begin, start the server, turn on verbose mode, and change the port to 8888.

nltk-server -v --port 8888

Measurement Extraction

Start the server along with measurement extraction feature enabled using -u or --units.

nltk-server -v --port 8888 -u

Now from the client, execute the following command:

curl -X POST -d "Hi, my name is Abraham Lincoln. I live in Los Angeles, California." https://localhost:8888/nltk

You should see back:

{
    "names": [
        "Hi",
        "Abraham Lincoln",
        "Los Angeles",
        "California"
    ],
    "result": "success"
}

We have added support for dates/times using the NLTK Contrib Timex module. You can test it out by adding some date/time information to your text.

curl -X POST -d "Hi, my name is Abraham Lincoln. I live in Los Angeles, California. Let's hang out tomorrow, Friday, February 26, 2016." https://localhost:8881/nltk

Which should return:

{
    "names": [
        "Hi",
        "Abraham Lincoln",
        "Los Angeles",
        "California",
        "tomorrow",
        "2016"
    ],
    "result": "success"
}

We have added support for extracting measurements from text. You can test it out by adding some measurement information to your text.

curl -X POST -d "The temperature outside is 20 degree Celsius. I study at University of Southern California." https://localhost:8881/nltk

Which should return:

{
    "names": [
        "University",
        "Southern California"
    ],
    "units": [
        "20 degree Celsius"
    ]
    "result": "success"
}

You can use PUT or POST to send a message to the server. Also if you just contact at the / default endpoint, you will see an HTML page that prints the status of the service.

Send them to Manali Shah or Chris A. Mattmann.

• Manali Shah, USC
• Chris A. Mattmann, USC & JPL

Apache License, version 2