Re: primary use case of the RDF API

Benjamin Adrian wrote:
> Nathan said in the telcon about the RDF API use cases:
> 
>> primary use cases were the same interfaces being able to be used by
>> reasoners and sparql implementations and for n3 compat (because you know,
>> one lib will handle all this)

Just to clarify, my comment was referring to the primary use cases for 
generalized triples in the API - to allow implementations of the 
interfaces to be used generally for RDF and semantic web purposes.

You may also be interested in this exchange around generalized triples 
with Andy Seaborne:
   http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdfa-wg/2011Jan/0093.html

And an interesting one from Ivan where we both conceded we were unsure 
what to do for the best with regards generalized triples:
   http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdfa-wg/2011Jan/0081.html

> I disagree. In my opinion the primary use case of the RDF API is:
> 
> Allow web developers to consume and produce RDF in application by writing
> a minimal amount of code.

However, on this topic which is a bit different, the goals of the RDF 
API; from some earlier mails regarding the scope of the RDF API:

[[
The RDF API defines a set of standardized interfaces for working with
RDF data in a programming environment.

These interfaces are, and have to be, designed to enable:
   - interoperability between library and extension developers
   - modularity (separate interchangeable components)
   - standardized interfaces giving access to core functionality

If we are to be successful in the definition of this API, then we need
to ensure the nice jQuery-for-rdf-like library works with foo-reasoner,
bar-store and baz-query, that users can mix and match components to get
their ideal setup; that innovation in libraries and specialization in
components is encouraged, rather than stifled.

]] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdfa-wg/2011Jan/0091.html

One way of looking at this is to consider whether people commonly use 
jQuery or the DOM API? Library writers use the DOM API, general 
developers use jQuery.

Now the interesting bit, do all developers only use jQuery? No, many use 
other libraries like Dojo, MooTools, Prototype, YUI, ExtJS etc, as a 
matter of preference, or simply picking the right tool for the job. Do 
all those libraries use the DOM API though? Yes they do.

We need the equivalent of the DOM API first. And we cannot possibly 
define a secondary level API which everybody will be happy with, that's 
the job of the library implementers IMHO.

Disagree?

Best,

Nathan

Received on Thursday, 21 April 2011 21:19:06 UTC