[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: "RDF + Topic Maps" = The Future
Martin Bryan wrote: > ...An RDF statement > normally assigns a set of characteristics to a single resource, either by > being embedded within that resource or be referencing it. Remember that raw RDF is a generic and low level mechanism for representing statement triples (predicate,subject,object) where the predicate and subject are resources and the object is a resource or literal. But realize that RDF defines resource containers (e.g. rdf:Bag). Since resource containers are themselves referenced as resources it is actually quite straightforward to attach a property, as you term 'characteristic' to a collection. >Topic Maps state > which sets of resources share a single characteristic. They also has the > advantage of being able to characterize characteristics (using scopes and > associations). Again the RDF concept which is equivalent to a 'set of resources' is a collection. Think of RDF as an assembly language for higher level constructs such as sets of associations or as a platform on which to layer semantics. An example is DAML-ONT http://www.daml.org/2000/10/daml-ont.html Associations in RDF are simply triples. 'Scopes' probably map onto RDF collections. > > > It's downright exciting! > > Both RDF and Topic Maps have the same weakness: They are only as good as the > semantics they are based on. Neither provides a standardized mechanism for > recording the meaning of the characteristic > Such a mechanism for recording the meaning of characteristics is termed an "ontology". This is one of the primary benefits of RDF, RDF Schemas being fundamentally a language for creating ontologies. DAML-ONT is an extension of RDFS. A list of such ontologies is available at: http://www.daml.org/ontologies/ontologies.html Jonathan Borden The Open Healthcare Group http://www.openhealth.org
|
PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced! Download The World's Best XML IDE!Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today! Subscribe in XML format
|