Re: "Define" a class, or "Declare" a class? "Define" a property, or "Declare" a property?

From: "Roger L. Costello" <costello@mitre.org>
Subject: "Define" a class, or "Declare" a class? "Define" a property, or "Declare" a property?
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 08:06:43 -0500

> 
> Hi Folks,
> 
> XML Schema distinguishes between "defining" and "declaring", e.g.,
> you "define" types, but you "declare" elements.  Does OWL make such a
> distinction?  That is, do you "define" a class, or do you "declare" a
> class?  Do you "define" a property, or do you "declare" a property?
> 
> Thanks!  /Roger

Well, OWL does *not* have a notion of the definition of anything.  OWL DL
does require a division of properties between object-valued properties and
data-valued properties.  You might consider the part of an OWL DL ontology
that provides this information as declarations of OWL properties.

In summary, however, the answers to your questions are 

	NO

and

	NEITHER

peter

Received on Wednesday, 5 March 2003 09:18:14 UTC