NEED RESOLUTION: "Define" a class, or "Declare" a class? "Define" a property, or "Declare" a property?

Steven Gollery wrote:

> What would be the right verb, then? For instance, the OWL Guide says:
>
> This document demonstrates the use of the OWL language to
>
>   1. formalize a domain by defining classes and properties of those
>       classes,
>   2. define individuals and assert properties about them, and
>
> What would be appropriate in place of "defining" and "defines"?

Right on Steven!  When writing or talking about OWL there needs to be
some accepted term for "the creation of a class/property".

Peter F. Patel-Schneider wrote:

"You might consider the part of an OWL DL ontology that provides this
information as declarations of OWL properties."

Peter, you used the term "declaration".  Are you saying that the proper
terminology is to use "declaration", as exemplified by these
statements:

    Here is the "declaration" of  the River class.
    Here is the "declaration" of the length property.

This topic may seem small, but I feel that it is important.  Without
the "correct" terminology people (such as myself) are left in a void
when trying to write or talk about OWL.  /Roger

Received on Sunday, 9 March 2003 09:13:46 UTC