multiple domain/range axioms needed in OWL editor?

Hi all,

I'm developing a browser-based OWL editor, trying to keep it's UI
as simple and intuitive as possible so that the editor can be 
used by non-experts as well. now I am unsure concerning the 
following:

As
- RDFS allows multiple domain and range axioms on properties which
  are interpreted as conjunction and
- OWL offers class descriptions using owl:unionOf and 
  owl:intersectionOf and
- OWL offers anonymous classes,

given a property description with multiple domain or range axioms,
using OWL I think I can:
1. create an anonymous class as union or intersection of the 
   property's domain/range axioms and
2. replace the multiple domain/range relations with a simple 
   relation to this new class

without losing semantic information.

benefit for my editor would be:
- I could use one-dimensional html selections for domain and 
  range of a property
- users wouldn't get confused about multiple domain/range values
  being  interpreted as conjunction as one had to explicitly 
  define those unionOf and intersectionOf classes beforehand.
  this may lead to some extra work, but (IMHO) reduces 
  complexity. 

having the option to flag a class as anonymous, the abstract 
classes could still be serialized as anonymous/owl:Restriction
classes. and I think mapping any existing RDF to the local model
would be possible as well.

now (finally) my questions:
- do I miss something? do any semantics get lost when I simplify
  domain and range widgets this way?
- are multiple domains/ranges meant to be, or was this implicit 
  creation of anonymous classes just some kind of work-around 
  before OWL existed?
- any other arguments against this transformation?


thanxalot in advance.

benjamin


---
background:
my first version was (protege-inspired) more class-centric. 
one could add any property to a class and the editor then 
automatically set the most specific common class as domain. 
but this way the widget for relating properties to classes
became quite large. not so nice from a usability point of view.


___________________________
benjamin nowack

am exerzierplatz 1
D-97072 wuerzburg

Received on Thursday, 28 August 2003 04:52:52 UTC