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Just Use The Web The Case For Naming Classes and Properties with URLs

Sandro Hawke, W3C October 16, 2008 -- Santa Clara, CA. Just Use The Web The Case For Naming Classes and Properties with URLs. W3C. Founded 1994 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee ~50 WGs, ~500 Participants, ~50 Staff, ~400 Member Orgs, ~40 Countries >100 Recommendations. Web Standards.

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Just Use The Web The Case For Naming Classes and Properties with URLs

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  1. Sandro Hawke, W3C October 16, 2008 -- Santa Clara, CA Just Use The WebThe Case For Naming Classes and Properties with URLs

  2. W3C • Founded 1994 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee • ~50 WGs, ~500 Participants, ~50 Staff, • ~400 Member Orgs, ~40 Countries • >100 Recommendations

  3. Web Standards • When you want computers to talk • ... without custom coding • What is “Web” • HTTP, HTML, URLs ? • Publish-at-Location, Access-at-Location ?

  4. Massive Scale • We all know the scale of the Web • Can't control it, only nudge it • Viral • Excitement • Political

  5. Stability Paradox • Won't be used until it's stable • Bugs only show up in real use • Then it's too late to change it! • cf Network Effect

  6. Iterative Design • Concentric Circles of Review • OK to start simple & cheap (homegrown)‏ • Grow in place (sort of)‏

  7. Third Party Extensibility • Event worse than changing your deployed format • Some group of your users want to deploy some new feature • What should software do when it sees an extension?

  8. XML, RDF • (Either works, for current discussion)‏ • “Extensible” • “Self-Describing” • Has declarative transforms (shims)‏

  9. Schema or Ontology? (Data Interface)‏ • Not always the same thing • “Every Human Has Two (bio) Parents” • Reincarnation of Object/Relational mismatch • Web3: Data Interface Specification • Handle the differences carefully

  10. SOLUTION: Using Web Address for Names • self-describing for people == websites of documentation • self-describing for machines == validations, shims • clear (enough) ownership of names (syntax) for extensibility

  11. Self-Describing for People • Alas, rarely done well (so far)‏ • Any good examples out there?

  12. Self-Describing for Machines – Validation • You receive a document, and know just that it's XML or RDF • You can do lots of error checking, by following the URLs to schemas

  13. Self-Describing for Machines – Automatic Shims • You receive a document, knowing just that it's XML or RDF • It's not in a format you implement! • You can use the URLs to find transforms. • (this technology isn't standard, deployed yet; cf XTAN)‏

  14. Clear (enough) Ownership of Names • Avoid accidental re-use of names • Give extra weight to a name's owner • You can re-invent directory services, but you'll hit the same social problems

  15. Problems/Opportunities • Ontology/Schema Hosting Services • Nice URL dereference for humans • Ontology/Schema Marketplace • XML Namespaces vs RDF URI-Based Names • httpRange-14, 303-See-Other

  16. Some Case Studies • FOAF evolution, hosting, mapping • Dublin Core evolution, hosting, mapping

  17. The Future • Many more decentralized computer applications • Many, many more standards • Evolving politics and practice of standardization

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