Using @resource instead of @about in RDFa Lite

Hi all!

Have we considered whether @resource would be preferable over @about
in RDFa Lite? Looking it over, it seems that if we replace @about with
@resource in Lite, we avoid some advanced concepts altogether. That
is, anyone only using the Lite subset would not risk running into the
"magnetism" of @about, nor the fact that it can be used to create full
triples with one element. (While these mechanics aren't mentioned
explicitly there, they are still in effect.)

If @about isn't part of Lite, this would not be "allowed":

    <a about="#me" property="foaf:knows" href="/someone"
typeof="foaf:Person">...</a>

It would have to be written like:

    <div resource="#me" typeof="foaf:Person">
        <a property="foaf:knows" href="/someone">...</a>
    </div>

Notice the subtle detail of what @typeof attaches to in the first form.

For good measure, let's add the type of the link object:

    <div resource="#me" typeof="foaf:Person">
        <a property="foaf:knows" href="/someone" typeof="foaf:Person">...</a>
    </div>

I find that rather normalized. It may even be that @resource can now
be considered preferable over @about in general.

Of course, instead @resource overriding @href would be allowed in Lite:

    <div resource="#me">
        <a property="foaf:knows" href="/someone" resource="/otherone"
typeof="foaf:Person">...</a>
    </div>

While that's not the simplest concept, it may still be easier to
understand than that @typeof and @property "attach" to @about if
present.

Concluding, this implies that @about can now be considered an advanced
concept, like @rel and @rev.

Best regards,
Niklas

Received on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 21:19:51 UTC