Re: type and instance and subclass in SHACL documents

Hi Karen,

SPARQL is used as definition in sections 2.1, 2.2 & section 3

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 5:22 AM, Karen Coyle <kcoyle@kcoyle.net> wrote:

> The SHACL document says, in the introduction:
>
> "However, SPARQL is not required for the implementation of the SHACL Core
> language."
>
> Our decision was to use SPARQL as the formal definition of SHACL functions
> "where possible" but is it truly reasonable to provide this functionality
> and NOT require SPARQL?
>
> Before we get to that point though, could someone point out the operations
> in SHACL that would logically make use of SPARQL query (with or without the
> SPARQL "rdfs:subClassOf*"). I'm trying to understand where it fits in.
>
> Thanks,
> kc
>
>
> On 5/11/16 3:25 PM, Holger Knublauch wrote:
>
>> A precise definition can be achieved via SPARQL, e.g.
>> rdf:type/rdfs:subClassOf*. The subclass relationship and the additional
>> type relations are computed on the fly as part of the queries. Using the
>> term inferencing here is unnecessary and potentially harmful, because
>> inferencing is typically understood to produce additional "inferred"
>> triples from those that are "asserted". No new triples are needed.
>>
>> Holger
>>
>>
>> On 12/05/2016 8:16, Martynas Jusevičius wrote:
>>
>>> So how do you express that form of subclassing? There surely must be a
>>> more precise and formal way than a sentence of prose. Even if it's not
>>> RDFS inferencing, it should be possible to define a different kind of
>>> inferencing for RDF, for example OO-like.
>>>
>>> It's not that SHACL implementations will need reasoners, their
>>> implementations just need to deliver results that are consistent with
>>> the official definition.
>>>
>>> Hint: RDF rules for definition.
>>>
>>> On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 12:03 AM, Holger Knublauch
>>> <holger@topquadrant.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> SHACL doesn't do RDFS inferencing. SHACL uses a trivial and intuitive
>>>> form
>>>> of subclassing that had been invented long before RDFS, and is
>>>> well-established in OO systems. The fact that RDFS also reinvented a
>>>> similar
>>>> technique (and added some other inferencing rules) is orthogonal.
>>>> RDFS does
>>>> not have any rights to block these concepts or the terms for all future
>>>> technologies.
>>>>
>>>> The SHACL spec doesn't use the term inferencing except to state that it
>>>> doesn't rely on inferencing. Even if this WG decides to use other
>>>> terms than
>>>> "instance", "type" and "subclass", the effect to the end user will be
>>>> exactly the same. It's just a matter of clarity and politics.
>>>>
>>>> Holger
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 11/05/2016 23:30, Peter F. Patel-Schneider wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> But SHACL does do RDFS inferencing in the data graph.  In
>>>>> particular, the
>>>>> sh:class depends in RDFS inferencing, namely inference rule rdfs11 from
>>>>> https://www.w3.org/TR/rdf11-mt/#rdfs-entailment.  At one time sh:class
>>>>> also
>>>>> depended on inference rules rdfs4a and rdfs4b as well as the RDFS axiom
>>>>> rdf:first rdfs:domain rdf:List .
>>>>>
>>>>> So saying that SHACL doesn't do RDFS inferencing in the data graph is
>>>>> incorrect.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Simmilarly SHACL does RDFS inferencing in the shapes graph when it
>>>>> accepts
>>>>> ex:s1 as a shape in
>>>>>
>>>>> ex:Shape rdfs:subClassOf sh:Shape .
>>>>> ex:s1 rdf:type ex:Shape ;
>>>>>    sh:scopeClass ex:Person ;
>>>>>    sh:constraint [ rdf:type sh:NodeConstraint ;
>>>>>                    sh:nodeKind sh:IRI ] .
>>>>>
>>>>> (This appears to be an acceptable SHACL shape, based on the SHACL
>>>>> specification.)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course, SHACL does not do *complete* RDFS inferencing.  In
>>>>> particular,
>>>>> there is no SHACL shape in
>>>>>
>>>>> ex:subClassOf rdfs:subPropertyOf rdfs:subClassOf .
>>>>> ex:Shape ex:subClassOf sh:Shape .
>>>>> ex:s1 rdf:type ex:Shape ;
>>>>>    sh:scopeClass ex:Person ;
>>>>>    sh:constraint [ rdf:type sh:NodeConstraint ;
>>>>>                    sh:nodeKind sh:IRI ] .
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> peter
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 05/11/2016 01:58 AM, Dimitris Kontokostas wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I am reopening this old thread which is more related to the other open
>>>>>> discussions we have atm.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Looking at Tom Baker's emails and in particular [1] (the first three
>>>>>> paragraphs under discussion) I was wondering if this can be a way
>>>>>> forward
>>>>>>
>>>>>> in particular say that SHACL uses rdf and rdfs terms but a shacl
>>>>>> processors
>>>>>> takes two immutable graphs (shapes & data) and performs no rdfs
>>>>>> inferencing on
>>>>>> the graphs at all
>>>>>> any inferencing must be performed as a preprocessing step and is
>>>>>> out of
>>>>>> scope
>>>>>> for shacl
>>>>>> In there we define the term "shacl instance" which is used in only two
>>>>>> places
>>>>>> in the spec, in sh:classScope and sh:class and no-where else
>>>>>> if people believe that we should disallow optional rdf:type statements
>>>>>> (e.g.
>>>>>> for sh:property) I do not mind if this can unblock the current
>>>>>> situation
>>>>>> Peter, would using the terms instance, class or subClassOf be fine
>>>>>> under
>>>>>> these
>>>>>> conditions?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (I am also in favor of dropping sh:entailment btw)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any comments on this?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Dimitris
>>>>>>
>>>>>> [1]
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind1605&L=DC-ARCHITECTURE&P=3148
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 12:56 AM, Holger Knublauch
>>>>>> <holger@topquadrant.com
>>>>>> <mailto:holger@topquadrant.com>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       This is becoming a long long thread about what is an entirely
>>>>>> editorial
>>>>>>       matter. I don't think it deserves the urgency. I also do not
>>>>>> agree
>>>>>> that we
>>>>>>       are misusing these terms at all. I believe to make progress
>>>>>> we could
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       a) try to find alternative terms (Peter suggested "SHACL
>>>>>> instance"
>>>>>> etc,
>>>>>>       but it could also be "is-a")
>>>>>>       b) follow the lead of what other, similar W3C specs are doing
>>>>>>       c) define the terms in the beginning and then use them as <span
>>>>>>       class="term">instance</span> so that the reader knows that we
>>>>>> use
>>>>>> that
>>>>>>       definition. That would be my preferred solution.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       Looking at the OWL 2 spec [1] the term "instance" is used in
>>>>>> many
>>>>>>       different contexts, without even being defined:
>>>>>>       - "Each OWL 2 ontology represented as an instance of this
>>>>>> conceptual
>>>>>>       structure"
>>>>>>       - "if an individual /a:Peter/ is an instance of the class
>>>>>> /a:Student/,
>>>>>>       and /a:Student/ is a subclass of /a:Person/, then from the OWL 2
>>>>>> semantics
>>>>>>       one can derive that /a:Peter/ is also an instance of
>>>>>> /a:Person/."
>>>>>>       - "Instances of the UML classes"
>>>>>>       - Class expressions represent sets of individuals by formally
>>>>>> specifying
>>>>>>       conditions on the individuals' properties; individuals
>>>>>> satisfying
>>>>>> these
>>>>>>       conditions are said to be /instances/ of the respective class
>>>>>> expressions"
>>>>>>       - ...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       Not only does OWL use the term "instance" inconsistently but
>>>>>> even
>>>>>> changes
>>>>>>       the RDF term by applying additional OWL semantics. RDFS does not
>>>>>> have the
>>>>>>       monopoly on these terms.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       The problem is not our use of these terms but the misleading
>>>>>> section
>>>>>> 1.1
>>>>>>       that needs to be replaced. I liked a previous proposal from
>>>>>> Dimitris,
>>>>>>       along the lines of "SHACL is based on pattern matching like
>>>>>> SPARQL.
>>>>>>       Inferencing is not required but there is no harm if
>>>>>> inferencing is
>>>>>>       activated (be it OWL or RDFS inferencing)". Then define the
>>>>>> terms
>>>>>> similar
>>>>>>       to what we currently have at the end of section 1.1. And
>>>>>> that's it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       Holger
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       https://www.w3.org/TR/owl2-syntax/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>       On 22/03/2016 4:15, Peter F. Patel-Schneider wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       I don't think that this helps at all.  In fact, all that it
>>>>>>> does is
>>>>>>> further
>>>>>>>       obfuscate the issue.  The issue is that the wording needs to be
>>>>>>> clear that in
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>         sh:shape rdf:type my:Shape .
>>>>>>>         my:subClassOf rdfs:subPropertyOf rdfs:subClassOf.
>>>>>>>         my:Shape my:subClassOf sh:Shape .
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       my:Shape is not a SHACL shape, but that in
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>         sh:shape rdf:type my:Shape .
>>>>>>>         my:Shape rdfs:subClassOf sh:Shape .
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       it is.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       There are many cases where the SHACL notion of subclass,
>>>>>>> instance,
>>>>>>> typing,
>>>>>>>       etc., diverges from the common definition of these notions.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       peter
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       On 03/21/2016 02:05 AM, Dimitris Kontokostas wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>       Hi Peter, I did some research on other w3c specs regarding the
>>>>>>>> term instance.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>       if we changed occurrences of instance from e.g.
>>>>>>>>       "shapes are the instances of sh:Shape" to
>>>>>>>>       "sh:Shape is the class of all shapes"
>>>>>>>>       would this be fine from your side?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>       Some cases like sh:class and sh:classScope would need extra
>>>>>>>> care
>>>>>>>> of course.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>       On Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 12:24 AM, Peter F. Patel-Schneider
>>>>>>>>       <pfpschneider@gmail.com <mailto:pfpschneider@gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> <mailto:pfpschneider@gmail.com> <mailto:pfpschneider@gmail.com>>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>           Even in this situation I think that "instance" in the
>>>>>>>> rest of
>>>>>>>> the document
>>>>>>>>           needs to be qualified.  Some readers of the document
>>>>>>>> will know
>>>>>>>> about RDFS
>>>>>>>>           instance and will need to be continually reminded that the
>>>>>>>> meaning that they
>>>>>>>>           know for "instance" is not being used in this document.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>           peter
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Dimitris Kontokostas
>>>>>> Department of Computer Science, University of Leipzig & DBpedia
>>>>>> Association
>>>>>> Projects: http://dbpedia.org, http://rdfunit.aksw.org,
>>>>>> http://aligned-project.eu <http://aligned-project.eu/>
>>>>>> Homepage:http://aksw.org/DimitrisKontokostas
>>>>>> Research Group: AKSW/KILT http://aksw.org/Groups/KILT
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>>
> --
> Karen Coyle
> kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
> m: 1-510-435-8234
> skype: kcoylenet/+1-510-984-3600
>
>


-- 
Dimitris Kontokostas
Department of Computer Science, University of Leipzig & DBpedia Association
Projects: http://dbpedia.org, http://rdfunit.aksw.org,
http://aligned-project.eu
Homepage: http://aksw.org/DimitrisKontokostas
Research Group: AKSW/KILT http://aksw.org/Groups/KILT

Received on Thursday, 12 May 2016 05:42:38 UTC