Thinking XML: Using Skos Rich schema definitions

To explain the meaning of the structure in XML schemata and instances, the main theme of this thinking XML column has been to focus on semantic transparency. I've introduced a bottom-up approach to semantic transparency, using this approach to define terms and concepts (the actual index dictionary) in a separate document and Schemata way, and then to apply them extensively. The industry has built a lot of plans for bottom-up semantic transparency, some of which have better viability. In this column, I discussed ISO Basic semantics Register (BSR), RosettaNet dictionaries, EbXML Core components, Universal Data Element Framework (UDEF), financial services, such as ISO 15022 content. But large industry initiatives do not provide the terminology for driving pattern development in most XML applications. More commonly, you need to define your own specialized data dictionaries.

Common abbreviations

Dita:darwin Information Classification System architecture

URI: Uniform Resource Identifier

World Wide Web Consortium: WWW Consortium

XML: Extensible Markup Language

XSL: Extensible Style Sheet language

xslt:xsl Conversion

Architects are increasingly aware that simply providing data dictionaries is not enough to support increasingly rich information integration. In XML documents, it is necessary to refer to people, places, and events through various interrelationships, from general to more specific relationships, functions and types, synonyms and antonyms. You need to describe the relationship to geography, critical time and date, policies, business rules. There are times when you need to extend your specialized information space to broader industry conventions. These details make Semantic Web technology ideal for supporting XML development, so it is necessary to begin to understand the most common and simplest semantic web technologies. Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) is a technology that is currently in the final request phase of the work draft process, but has been fully understood, implemented, and discussed. Unfortunately, SKOS lost some simplicity in its final design phase because its committee binds it to more complex Web Ontology Language (OWL), and SKOS is still useful if you ignore some of the more fancy decorations. It provides at least a textual relationship for the underlying meaning of the associated term, which is a good beginning for rich XML schemata.

From concept to expression

In the development process, it is best to capture concepts early. During the analysis of new applications or integration of existing applications, you should document the main concepts and retain as many original concepts as possible. The Turtle syntax of the resource Description framework (Resource Description FRAMEWORK,RDF) is useful for capturing these concepts using formats that are appropriate for non-technical users. The close integration of developers and business interests is critical to improving the value of information used in XML organization. In this article, I'll use a scenario from the skateboard manufacturer fluffy boards to develop a format that uses it to capture sales information for a new skateboard called Cumulus. Listing 1 shows part of the SKOS definition of the concept, which uses the Turtle syntax.

Listing 1. SKOS definition of key concepts in skateboarding sales information using the Turtle format

_cnnew1@prefix Skos: @prefix f: F:product
a skos:concept;
Skos:preflabel "Product";
Skos:altlabel "Merchandise Item";
Skos:definition "Item developed for sale by fluffy boards."
F:snowboard
a skos:concept;
Skos:preflabel "Snowboard";
Skos:altlabel "Deck";
Skos:definition "Deck to is mounted with bindings for riding on snow.";
Skos:broader f:product.
F:endorsement
a skos:concept;
Skos:preflabel "endorsement";
Skos:altlabel "Formal thumbs-up";
Skos:definition "formal statement of approval of the product.";
Skos:broader F:review.
F:review
a skos:concept;
Skos:preflabel "Review";
Skos:altlabel "Product opinion";
Skos:definition "Statement of opinion of a product.".
F:customer
a skos:concept;
Skos:preflabel "Customer";
Skos:definition "person or group engaged by fluffy boards in the purchase process.".