Assumptions about anonymous resources

Hi all,

When an anonymous resource is referenced (ie: <rdf:Description> with no
about or ID attribute), is it reasonable/legal to make *any* assumptions
about the resource other than that it is anonymous?

For example, consider the following:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<top-level-element xmlns:rdf="...">

  <first-element id="001">
    <rdf:Description about="#001">
      ...
    <rdf:Description>
  <first-element>

  <second-element>
    <rdf:Description>
      ...
    </rdf:Description>
  </second-element>

</top-level-element>

As I understand it, the first <rdf:Description> refers to the resource
identified by the fragment identifier "#001", which in this instance happens
to be the <first-element> element.

The second <rdf:Description> refers to an anonymous resource.  Could I
assume that this anonymous resource is the <second-element> element?  Could
I assume that this anonymous resource is the file itself?  Or can I know
nothing at all about the resource other than what is defined inside the
<rdf:Description> block?

What I'm actually trying to do is define a simple hierarchy, and I want to
be able to describe arbitrary pieces of the hierarchy using RDF, without
having to keep track of fragment IDs...

Regards,

Tim Serong
Senior Software Developer, Publishing
IXLA Limited
Email: tims@ixla.com.au
Web: http://www.ixla.com/

Received on Tuesday, 3 October 2000 21:40:21 UTC