Abstract syntax for updates

 

DAWG, 

I have been working on an abstract syntax for an RDF Update
language which deliberately has much in common with SPARQL Update. The
syntax presented, [1], concisely tackles several issues discussed in this
group. For instance... 

- Conditions (WHERE etc) are captured by guarding
updates with an internalised SPARQL query. 

- Blank nodes are handled by a
query discovering the node. The discovery moves the scope of the blank node
around the query so that they may be treated in the same way as URIs. 

-
Named graphs are primitive enabling the declaration of federated queries
and updates. 

- Optional extensions, choice and recursion, offer
significant power for updating linked lists and other linked data
structures. The syntax is fully concurrent. 

The languages is explained in
detail in the paper, [1]. The introduction replicates the examples in the
SPARQL update specification, if the syntax is a barrier. The last sentence
may be controversial. Perhaps the operational semantics mimic some of your
intuition... 

Regards, 

Ross 

[1] http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/18602/


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