[dxwg] Distribution vs DataDistributionService (#809)

andrea-perego has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/dxwg:

== Distribution vs DataDistributionService ==
In [the section of the DCAT spec devoted to distributions](https://w3c.github.io/dxwg/dcat/#Class:Distribution), the following text is included in a note:

> The scope of dcat:Distribution here is narrower than in DCAT-2014 [VOCAB-DCAT-20140116], where it also included APIs and feeds. Data catalogues designed using DCAT-2014 therefore used instances of type dcat:Distribution to describe data distribution services. Applications consuming DCAT should be aware that catalogues designed using DCAT-2014 might use dcat:Distribution to represent both services and representations.
>
>Under the revised scope, instances of type dcat:Distribution SHOULD be limited to representations of datasets which might be transported as files, and SHOULD NOT be used for data services such as APIs or feeds. Data services including APIs and feeds SHOULD be described using instances of type dcat:DataService whose sub-class dcat:DataDistributionService MAY serve dcat:Distributions.
>
>Links between a dcat:Distribution and services or web addresses where it can be accessed are expressed using dcat:accessURL, dcat:accessService, dcat:downloadURL, as shown in Figure 1 and described in the definitions below.

Reading the two first paragraphs (and especially the 2nd one), it seems that `dcat:Distribution` is replaced by `dcat:DataDistributionService` whenever the data is accessible via a service / API. 

Unless I'm mistaken, this is not the case. When data is available via a service / API, `dcat:Distribution` will be still there, but, in addition to what is in DCAT 2014, it points to the service / API by using specific properties - as explained in the last paragraph of the quoted text above.

Probably the issue with the text concerns this statement "The scope of dcat:Distribution here is narrower than in DCAT-2014 [VOCAB-DCAT-20140116], where it also included APIs and feeds." I don't think this was the case: `dcat:Distribution`'s were just pointing to APIs and feeds, but not describing or replacing them - also because there were no appropriate properties for doing that.

So, it is not the scope of `dcat:Distribution` that is narrower; rather, DCAT  that now offers the possibility to provide details about the service / API (if any) a `dcat:Distribution` points to, with the purpose of enabling consumers (human and machines) to know which mechanisms should be used to access the data. In other words, we are talking here about an extension to DCAT, not of a revision of scope of a legacy class.



Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/dxwg/issues/809 using your GitHub account

Received on Friday, 8 March 2019 00:35:10 UTC