[data-shapes] Does output include base graph triples (#728)

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

== Does output include base graph triples ==
The section [Rule Set Evaluation](https://w3c.github.io/data-shapes/shacl12-rules/#rule-set-evaluation) indicates that:

"The inferred triples do not include triples present in the set of triples of the [base graph](https://w3c.github.io/data-shapes/shacl12-rules/#dfn-base-graph)."

However, the definition given for an _evaluation graph_ is:

"A [evaluation graph](https://w3c.github.io/data-shapes/shacl12-rules/#dfn-evaluation-graph) is an [RDF Graph](https://www.w3.org/TR/rdf12-concepts/#dfn-rdf-graph) that combines the [base graph](https://w3c.github.io/data-shapes/shacl12-rules/#dfn-base-graph) and all triples produced during the evaluation of a rule set."

* Q1: So I conclude that an _evaluation graph_ is not the output but an interim thing. Is this correct?


If I want to use a SHACL Rules engine to remove triples from a graph, I could do so by generating (selecting) the triples to be removed and then removing them from the base graph if the output was inferred triples only but not if it included the base graph as then I would get no result.

* Q2: Is removal by inferring triples to be removed and then removing them from the base graph an expected use pattern?





Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/data-shapes/issues/728 using your GitHub account


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Received on Tuesday, 20 January 2026 07:33:21 UTC