SKOS API web service Browsing Client

As part of initial experiments with the SKOS API and terminology web services we've developed a pilot PC based (.NET) web service client demonstrator application. The application is a 'rich client' browser displaying details for concepts and browsing. It makes SKOS API calls to the SWAD-Europe Thesaurus Activity project DREFT demonstration web services server (http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Europe/reports/thes). The browser acts on the GEneral Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus (GEMET - see http://www.eionet.eu.int/gemet), and some initial links to the GEMET data are provided in the application as suitable start points for browsing. The GEMET thesaurus data is held on the server in SKOS format and in principle the application should work with any SKOS format data.

 

Due to limitations imposed by the current server configuration, the application currently utilises a very small subset (two) of the possible SKOS API calls: getConcept and getAllConceptRelatives. These calls don't return relationship info, so the browser shows immediately semantically related terms without indicating relationships. Other SKOS API calls would allow hierarchical browsing, locating controlled terminology, etc.

 

The browser is a research prototype developed by the Hypermedia Research Unit at the University of Glamorgan. From our initial testing, it appears to achieve a fast enough response for satisfactory interaction (although the server occasionally pauses). It suggests that the SKOS API can support client applications of this type and gives an idea of the distributed terminology tools we intend to explore in future work. 

 

The zip file at http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/~FACET/services/SKOS_API_Browser.zip contains a copy of the application (SKOS_API.exe) together with a user guide explaining the background and functionality and installation procedure. If anyone wishes to explore it, we'd be interested in feedback.

 

Doug

 

 

Douglas Tudhope 
Hypermedia Research Unit
University of Glamorgan 
Pontypridd CF37 1DL 
Wales, UK 
Tel +44 (0) 1443-482271 
Fax +44 (0) 1443-482715 
dstudhope@glam.ac.uk 
http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/pages/staff/dstudhope 
Editor : The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia