Use case: RDF configuration files

A developer is programming a new email client (MUA), and the system uses
a lot of configuration settings and data, some of which may be relevent
to any MUA and some of which is specific to this particular
implementation. The developer would like to record all configuration
data as RDF.

The developer understands the basic RDF data model (a general graph) and
knows precisely the structure of the information in which she is
interested (i.e. a local username hasAccount account, an account
hasServer server, a server usesProtocol protocol, and the local client
can only handle #IMAP and #POP as protocols), but otherwise has no
expertise in programming graph algorithms or manipulating RDF.

She would like to retrieve those aspects of the configuration files in
which she is interested, i.e. the server and its protocol for a
particular account or username.


This use case demonstrates programmatic access of local RDF
repositories, and is a close analog of the kinds of applications in
which XML and XPath have proven so useful. I think it also demonstrates
many of the advantages of RDF over those tools; there could be certain
advantages to storing preferences in a personal RDF repository, some of
which might even be made publicly available.

Hang on, did I just suggest that the Windows Registry was a good design
pattern? <shudder>

Received on Tuesday, 6 April 2004 16:25:23 UTC