Re: terminology: what's a data model

The Primer calls RDF a "data model" in several places.  Do you want me 
to change it?  If so, can you point me to a short description of what an 
"abstract syntax" is?  Not that I'm particularly willing.  I think I 
know what a data model is, and I think RDF can be reasonably 
characterized as one:  think of the relational data model, restricted to 
3-ary relations, integrity constraints that keep literals from being 
subjects and predicates, and the inference rules defined in the Model 
Theory instead of an algebraic definition of operators like "join" (or 
Ted Codd's RM/T model, using binary relations for the properties, unary 
relations for classes, and a different set of constraints).  I was going 
to cover this in a separate section of the Primer, but don't have the 
time now.

NB:  The discussion of abstract syntax in 
http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-absyn/ isn't adequate.

NB:  The XQuery folks think they have a data model: 
http://www.w3.org/TR/query-datamodel/

--Frank

pat hayes wrote:

> 
>> I'm wondering about our use of the term data model.
>>
>> What do folks think about renaming the concepts doc to:
>>
>>   Resource Description Framework (RDF) Concepts and Abstract Syntax
> 
> 
> A VERY good idea. I have never known what a data model was supposed to be.
> 
> Pat
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Frank Manola                   The MITRE Corporation
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Received on Wednesday, 30 October 2002 15:26:51 UTC