RE: What is an RDF datatype?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ext Peter F. Patel-Schneider 
> [mailto:pfps@research.bell-labs.com]
> Sent: 30 January, 2003 17:14
> To: www-rdf-comments@w3.org
> Subject: What is an RDF datatype?
> 
> 
> 
> What is a datatype in RDF?  
> 
> Concepts says (in Section 3.3)
> 	RDF uses the datatype abstraction defined by XML Schema Part 2:
> 	Datatypes ...
> 
> XML Schema Part 2 says
> 	... a datatype is a 3-tuple, consisting of a) a set of distinct
> 	values, called its value space, b) a set of lexical
> 	representations, called its lexical space, and c) a set 
> of facets
> 	that characterize properties of the value space, 
> individual values
> 	or lexical items.
> 
> (Actually this appears to be a bug in the XML Schema documents, as the
> lexical-to-value mapping is nowhere indicated.)  Let us thus 
> assume that as
> far as RDF is concerned, this allusion makes a datatype be a 
> value space, a
> lexical space, a mapping from the latter to the former, and a set of
> facets.
> 
> So what happened to the XML Schema datatype facets?  Are they 
> part of RDF
> datatypes?

Facets are not part of RDF Datatypes. I made recommendations to the
editors earlier to adjust the wording to say that RDF Datatypes are
"derived from" and/or "compatable with" the definition of XML Schema,
specifically because the definition of RDF Datatypes is *not* identical
to that of XML Schema. 

I will request again to the editors that this be stated clearly and
accurately, so as to avoid further confusion on this point.

If you need examples of the proper wording, see the last Datatyping
Specification of which I was then an editor.

Regards,

Patrick

--
Patrick Stickler, Nokia/Finland, (+358 40) 801 9690, patrick.stickler@nokia.com

Received on Thursday, 30 January 2003 10:54:54 UTC