- From: Frank van Harmelen <Frank.van.Harmelen@cs.vu.nl>
- Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:58:23 +0100
- To: public-owl-comments@w3.org
We are positively opposed to introducing the (non-RDF) XML serialisation. It's entirely up to the WG to adopt a different structural specification / abstract syntax if that makes it easier to define the semantics of the language etc, but we can see no good reason for turning this internal formalisation-tool into a normative *additional* serialisation syntax. The merits of the new syntax are justified in terms of debatable arguments (a preference for either axiomatic or frame-based syntax is a matter of taste, not fact). We also don't see how the introduction of two serialisation syntaxes (RDF-XML and non-RDF-XML) can make life easier for developers. Arguably the non-RDF-XML syntax is easier to handle, but it is mandatory for tools to implement the RDF-XML syntax, so it's just additional burden. (see conformance statement 2.1 in <http://www.w3.org/TR/owl2-test/>) Also, introducing the non-RDF-XML syntax breaks upwards compatibility: Without any modification, many OWL1 tools will be able to parse all of OWL2 in the RDF-XML syntax and most likely even make some semantic sense of it, while the same OWL1 tools will barf at (or at best entirely ignore) the same OWL2 ontologies when expressed in the non-RDF-XML syntax. It is also noticeable that the Features document does not give any supporting use-cases for the introduction of the new syntax. Summarising: this will be a burden on tool developers, and will break compatibility. Finally, it breaks with the widespread semantic-web practice that triples are the exchange currency. In short: we strongly insist that this syntax will be made non-normative (comparable to the non-RDF-XML syntax for OWL1) In relation to this previous point, we would find it useful if the documents would show the triple-serialisation (ie in RDF-XML) of the various new constructs, similar to the Guide document for OWL1 <http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-guide/> Frank van Harmelen, and many members of the Semantic Web Group at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam -- Frank.van.Harmelen@cs.vu.nl http://www.cs.vu.nl/~frankh Working on the Large Knowledge Collider http://www.LarKC.eu
Received on Friday, 23 January 2009 23:58:57 UTC