Notes on RDF/XML Syntax Spec (WD-rdf-syntax-grammar-20020325)

Below I've listed some suggestions for making the RDF/XML Syntax Spec
(http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-rdf-syntax-grammar-20020325) clearer. I
can come up with some pickier wordsmithing things if anyone can use
those.

Bob DuCharme          www.snee.com/bob           <bob@  
snee.com>  "The elements be kind to thee, and make thy
spirits all of comfort!" Anthony and Cleopatra, III ii

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Section 2

After example 5:

  The above forms the basis of the RDF/XML syntax and although
  there are some other abbreviated forms not covered here at this time
  includes generating the RDF list properties and for skipping having 
  to write down a blank element node.

This sentence is very confusing. It would help to split it up like this:

  The above forms the basis of the RDF/XML syntax. Although there are..."

I'm still not sure of the subject of the verb "includes."


Section 3

"The Infoset requires supports for" The Infoset requires support for

"The use this property" The use of this property


3.1.1

"Created from an Document Information Item" Created from a
Document Information Item


3.1.4

"Firstly... Secondly" This would be easier to read as a bulleted list
with these two sentences (without the "firstly" and "secondly") as the
two list items.


3.1.7 (and 3.1.8)

  These nodes are created by giving two values for the literal-value and
  literal-language properties which both take string values.

Instead:

  These nodes are created by assigning string values to both the literal-value
  and literal-language properties.


  the concatenation of """ (1 double quote),

This occurs many times throughout, and is very confusing. It would be easier
to read as the following, especially if you put the quotation mark in a
monospaced font:

  The concatenation of a quotation mark ("),


3.4

  "where n is a non-negative integer"

This should be a complete sentence. Otherwise it looks like the
continuation of a sentence that never began. Just before it is an
example, and just before that is a sentence that ends with a period
("are not concepts in the graph.")


"These are either RDF Classes (first 5)" first 5 what? If it refers to
Seq, Bag, Alt, Statement, and Property, it should repeat that
list. It's not very long.


"or Properties (remainder)" Remainder?


3.6

  An empty same document reference "" resolves against...

This phrase needs to be re-worded. With "An" at the beginning followed by two
adjectives, it looks like the two adjectives are describing the noun that
follows them ("an empty, same document") which doesn't make sense. Now I
understand that the adjective "empty" is describing the noun phrase "same
document reference" (which itself is pretty kludgy wording) but I had to read
it a few times to understand that. How's this:

  An empty string ("") used as a reference to a resource in the same
  document resolves against...


4.1

"SHOULD" is used in all caps in section 3.4, so 4.1 should come before that.


5.4

  The processing of some of the attributes have to be done

"The processing" is a singular, not plural verb, so this should be

  The processing of some of the attributes has to be done

6

  The basic serialization is recommended for applications in which the output
  RDF/XML is to be used only in further RDF processing.

That took me a bit to understand. If the following is what it means, it would
be clearer:

  The basic serialization is recommended for applications in which the output
  RDF/XML is to be used for no purpose other than further RDF processing.



   It is recommended that implementors of RDF serializers in order to break a
   URI into a namespace name and a local name,

Add comma after "serializers"

Received on Saturday, 2 November 2002 19:26:16 UTC