ISSUE-49 (sql-terminology): SQL terminology in R2RML [R2RML]

ISSUE-49 (sql-terminology): SQL terminology in R2RML [R2RML]

http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/rdb2rdf/track/issues/49

Raised by: Richard Cyganiak
On product: R2RML

R2RML uses a lot of SQL terminology, including “SELECT list”, “derived columns”, “character string type”, “data type”, “data value” and so on. Most of them are used without an explicit definition. It is simply hoped that the reader knows what is meant.

The formal definition of SQL is found in ISO/IEC 9075. The precise terms used there often differ from those used in R2RML. Looking up the precise terms is a quite laborious process. Very few people on the WG has access to the expensive ISO specs, so it's hard to scale up the process. It's also questionable how useful references to ISO/IEC 9075 really are, because most readers of R2RML won't have access to it either.

One solution might be to include an informative section that recaps SQL terminology. It could reference the ISO spec and give short semi-formal definitions of the terms needed to specify R2RML.

Received on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 12:20:51 UTC