Re: RDF API / URIs of reified statements

Sergey,

Thanks for restarting the API discussions. Let's shoot for end of 1999
rather than the end of the millenium :-). I like the API and look forward
to seeing the repackaged sample implementation. I have two areas of
comments below . Please excuse any sloppyness in description since I want
to get something out before I'm overtaken by weekend commitments (leaf
raking :-).

Models are Resources
==================

Many of the participants have indicated their desire for being able to
treat models as resources. I just wanted to point out what may be obvious
which is that each set operation returns a new model. Each of these result
models should also have their own URI. This falls under the issue of NoName
resources.

Triples as Resources
=================

I think that the URI for triples should be totally separate from the
XML serialization.  Jonas describes an approach using XPointer that is
heavily dependant on a particular XML serialization of a model. I think the
approach that is serialization independant is more robust. The URIref
should be composed of the URI of the model with a UUID fragment identifier
for the triple using something like one of Sergeys' approaches.

Once you pick a URIref for the triples you can serialize them to XML using
the basic syntax which allows a property to have an rdf:ID.  This assumes
that the triple has the same URI as the model that is being serialized and
that this URI will continue to serve as the base URI for the model for
future deserialization.  This property ID seems to be lost by the current
crop of RDF parsers but that could be an enhancement request once triples
are resources.

There is the question of whether triples should be traceable independant of
the model that they are contained in. I.e. if you union two models should
the triples in the resulting model have URIrefs whose URI is that of the
origin models. If this is the case, you could no longer use the current RDF
MS property ID to losslessly transport the result model.

Cordially from Corvallis,

Gabe Beged-Dov
http://www.jfinity.com/gabe

Received on Saturday, 4 December 1999 14:11:17 UTC