- From: Andy Seaborne <andy.seaborne@epimorphics.com>
- Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:43:14 +0000
- To: public-rdf-wg@w3.org
On 07/11/12 17:06, RDF Working Group Issue Tracker wrote: > RDF-ISSUE-107 (blank-node-definition): Definition of blank nodes > (editorial-ish) [RDF Concepts] > > http://www.w3.org/2011/rdf-wg/track/issues/107 > > Raised by: Richard Cyganiak On product: RDF Concepts > > Pat commented on the definition of blank nodes in Concepts section > 3.4. > http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdf-wg/2012May/0654.html > > > "The blank nodes in an RDF graph are drawn from an infinite set." Minor: If wanted, I think this can be used with modification: "The blank nodes in an RDF graph are drawn from some arbitrary infinite set, which is disjoint from the set of IRIs and set of all literals." > > This seems a rather odd way to introduce the idea. I know it is > formally correct, but it reads (to me) rather jarringly. (Which set? > Why that set in particular? Etc..) > > Suggest something more like: > > "A blank node is a node which has no associated information or > structure. In an RDF graph, a blank node represents an 'unknown' > entity which may not have a name. In the abstract syntax, we specify > only that blank nodes are taken from a fixed infinite set which is > disjoint from the set of all IRIs and the set of all literals." I think that "no associated information or "structure" is confusing - it has properties and participates in triples. It is not "an entity" - that sounds more like bNodes as anonymous individuals which they are not. As a node in the graph it does not have a name (it's blank!). (It can be an existential for resources that has one or more names but it itself is still blank.) "A blank node is a node in an RDF graph that does not have an IRI nor is it a literal." > "Given two blank nodes, it is possible to determine whether or not > they are the same." Works for me - c.f. "Given two integers, it is possible to determine whether or not they are the same." A bit loose maybe but comprehensible. There are two graph nodes from two sources (e.g. two triples). Are they the same (you have pointers to them, not the things themselves). > > Um. I know I am always being acussed of thinking like a > mathematician, but this doesn't make sense as stated. If there are > TWO blank nodes, then obviously they aren't the same, because if they > were there would only be one of them. I know it is hard to say this > without using words like "identity", so I suggest simply omitting > this sentence altogether, and rephrase the paragraph as something > like > > "RDF makes no reference to any internal structure or syntactic form > of blank nodes. A blank node is simply a node in an RDF graph which > has no label or other structure relevant to its RDF role." > > > >
Received on Wednesday, 7 November 2012 21:43:49 UTC