[data-shapes] Support for classification (#707)

afs has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/data-shapes:

== Support for classification ==
Issue from a [comment on #702](https://github.com/w3c/data-shapes/issues/702#issuecomment-3705002798).

> The new text would be better if "deactivated" is defined to skip shapes/constraints rather than "All RDF terms [conform](https://www.w3.org/TR/shacl12-core/#dfn-conform) to a deactivated shape".  Classification tasks are affected.
> 
> There really are three cases, "known to positively conform", "known to not conform" and "not considered/unknown". `sh:targetWhere` is positive selection.
>> Note that sh:targetWhere can be interpreted as a "definition" providing necessary and sufficient conditions for a shape. It can therefore potentially be used for "classification" tasks, e.g., to collect all nodes that fulfill a given set of conditions.

Text references:
* [`sh:deactivated`](https://www.w3.org/TR/shacl12-core/#deactivated)
* [Note on `sh:targetWhere`](https://www.w3.org/TR/shacl12-core/#h-note-0) (anonymous note anchor; link may break)

If classification tasks are a possibility, `sh:deactivated` should be defined to cause skipping, i.e. "not considered", and not defined to be conforming.

This also is better for a deactivity shape which references a shared part (`sh:node`that might be a shared shape accessible by a different route which would still apply).

There may be other places in the documents where similar revisions are needed.


Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/data-shapes/issues/707 using your GitHub account


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Received on Sunday, 4 January 2026 15:00:41 UTC