- From: Nathan <nathan@webr3.org>
- Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:45:57 +0000
- To: public-rdf-wg@w3.org
- CC: Guus Schreiber <guus.schreiber@vu.nl>
Pat Hayes wrote: > On Feb 24, 2011, at 4:19 AM, Guus Schreiber wrote: > >> Pat, >> >> I 'm trying to translate this into a simple story for outsiders: >> >> RDF abstract graph: triples >> RDF graph: quads >> >> with a rationale along the following lines: the revised RDF spec does not *replace* triples with quads; it just *adds* the quad notion, to handle the established practice of how abstract graphs materialize on the Web. >> >> I hope this makes some sense... > > Unfortunately it does not to me. Um... what have quads got to do with the issue? I just don't get it, sorry. > > It is much simpler: it is just wanting the WG to acknowledge that "an RDF graph" can either be a mathematical set, or it can be some kind of document or data structure or file than can be transmitted over a computer network. But it can't be both. Pat, do you see a graph-token as referring to: A: a representation of a set of triples, a concrete realization of a Platonic abstraction in some distinct lexical form (non temporally varying, blank node identifiers scoped at representation level, where an RDF/XML representation of those triples would be a different graph-token to a Turtle representation of those triples). B: a data structure which holds a set of triples, and which can be serialized in to various lexical formats. (non temporally varying, blank node identifiers scoped at data structure level, RDF/XML and Turtle representations both encode the same graph-token) C: a triple container whose contents can be modified over time, where the value at a specific instant is a set of triples representing that containers current state, and where the value (set of triples) can be serialized in a representation, or held in some in memory data structure. (blank nodes scoped where?) D: something else if C, then that is /one of/ the things which people name with a URI and refer to as a named graph and store in quads in a quad store, and would explain the distinction Guus made above (afaict) aside wrt C: there is much confusion over this, as many also take the set of triples which represent the containers current state, and then give it a URI and call that a named graph too, referring to the abstract graph rather than temporally varying container of triples. Best, Nathan
Received on Thursday, 24 February 2011 23:48:09 UTC