RE: Use of Triples with Newly Created XML Languages

> From: Rhys Lewis
> [ . . . ]
> I think there is another case not explicitly covered by these 
> and that I would like to see covered. This is the case where 
> an XML language is created with explicit mechanisms for 
> relating its constructs to triples. 

Indeed, that XML language may be specifically designed  
so that the *entire* semantics of an instance document
are defined by its corresponding RDF triples.  In essence,
such a language would act as a (custom) serialization
of RDF, though it would not necessarily make use of
the entire RDF language.  This approach is described here
as a way of bridging the worlds of XML and RDF:
http://dbooth.org/2007/rdf-and-soa/rdf-and-soa-paper.htm

However, that XML language might still use GRDDL as a
mechanism for relating the XML language to RDF
triples.

> The example I was 
> thinking of is XHTML 2 [2] and, by extension DIAL, [3]. The 
> XHTML 2 'role' [4] attribute and facilities in the 
> metainformation module [5] support use of or reference to RDF 
> triples. At a quick glance, [5] looks similar to RDFa, and 
> may indeed be the source of the concept. The same people are 
> involved in both.
>  
> It could be that relaxing the good practice note about RDFa 
> to something more general about languages that support such 
> constructs could allow the XHTML 2 case to be included. Also, 
> this seems to be a case where an XML language would not need 
> to use GRDDL because it has native ways of achieving the same 
> objective. That might argue for relaxing the good practice 
> note about XML languages and GRDDL in 4.4. 

I have a problem with every spec thinking that it is important 
enough that all processors that might encounter it should have 
built-in knowledge of how it should be processed.  Even if
an XML language has specifically designed its own mechanisms
for relating its constructs to triples, I would much prefer
that the spec writers be encouraged to express those mechanisms
using GRDDL.

>  
> Does that make sense? 
>  
> Best wishes
> Rhys
>  
> [1] 
> http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/selfDescribingDocuments-2007-05-24.html
> [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/
> [3] http://www.w3.org/TR/dial/
> [4] 
> http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/mod-roleAttribute.html#s_roleAttri
butemodule
> [5] 
> http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2/mod-metaAttributes.html#s_metaAttr
ibutesmodule
> 

David Booth, Ph.D.
HP Software
+1 617 629 8881 office  |  dbooth@hp.com
http://www.hp.com/go/software

Received on Saturday, 2 June 2007 01:24:07 UTC