subDatatypes or multiple datatypes

Evening all,

I've came upon a requirement to have either datatype inheritance or 
multiple datatypes for literal values.

Simply put, for application level processing and data validation it's 
very useful to have specific datatypes, for example one for a UK postal 
code, another for SSNs, another for integer product codes which must 
always be within specific bounds and so forth.

   note: using validation data in the ontology/schema (xsd: length,
   pattern, enumeration, totalDigits and so forth)

However, for generic use of the data, querying via sparql and so forth 
it's useful to have generic data types such as the common xsd: types.

What I'm really looking for here is one of the following (other 
suggestions and discussions most welcomed):

1) datatype inheritance (would require changes to sparql engines methinks)
2) multiple datatypes (would require changes to rdf and sparql afaict)
3) a way to apply xsd restrictions to properties rather than datatypes 
(perhaps the most realistic)

Any help most appreciated,

Best,

Nathan

Received on Sunday, 15 July 2012 23:10:38 UTC