Introduction
! The Resource Description Framework (RDF) defines a simple model for
RDF Schema
describing relationships among resources in terms of named properties and
values. RDF properties may be thought of as attributes of resources and in
this sense correspond to traditional attribute-value pairs. RDF properties
also represent relationships between resources. As such, the RDF data
RDFS can be directly used to describe an ontology. Objects,
model can therefore resemble an entity-relationship diagram.
Classes, and Properties, can be described. Predefined properties ! The RDF data model itself, however, provides no mechanisms for
can be used to model instance of and subclass of relationships as describing these properties, nor does it provide any mechanisms for
well as domain restrictions and range restrictions of attributes. A
describing the relationships between these properties and other resources.
speciality of RDFS is that properties are defined globally and are
not encapsulated as attributes in class definitions. Therefore, a ! That is the role of this specification. The RDF vocabulary description
frame or object-oriented ontology can only be expressed in RDFS language (RDF Schema) defines classes and properties that can be used to
by reifying the property names with class name suffixes
describe other classes and properties.
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RDF Schema (RDFS) Introductory example
! RDF just defines the data model. ! Person writes/authors Document.
! Need for definition of vocabularies for the data ! Person has name (Literal).
model - an Ontology Language!
! Document has title (DC:title).
! RDF-Schemas describe rules for using RDF
properties Person
" Define a domain vocabulary for RDF author
" Organise this vocabulary in a typed hierarchy Document name
! RDF Schemas are Web resources (and have
URIs) and can be described using RDF title Literal
! Are not to be confused with XML Schemas
DC:Title
! RDFS is a framework for a vocabulary
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Introductory example 2 Domain and Range
! Person writes/authors Document. ! Person writes/authors Document.
! Person has name (Literal). ! Person has name (Literal).
! Document has title (DC:title). ! Document has title (DC:title).
! If we want to focus on the PROPERTY, ... ! If we want to focus on the PROPERTY, ...
? author ? domain
author
range
Document Person Document Person
title name type type
DC:Title Literal http://doc.org/doc1 http://per.org/per1
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Two-layer structure Two-layer structure
! Person writes/authors Document. ! Upper layer Resource
! Person has name (Literal).
! Document has title (DC:title). subClassOf
! If we want to focus on the PROPERTY, ... subClassOf Property subClassOf
type
domain author range domain range
author
Document Person
Document Person
author author
http://doc.org/doc1 http://per.org/per1 http://doc.org/doc1 http://per.org/per1
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A simple example is presented here
Introductory in diagrammatic form, illustrating
Two-layer structure example 3
the use of the RDF Schema
vocabulary for describing classes
and properties, and the connection
! Lower layer Property to application-level data.
type
domain range
author
Document Person
type type
http://doc.org/doc1 author http://per.org/per1
dc:title name
Information Management: A Proposal type Tim Berners-Lee
subClassOf
Resource Literal
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RDF Schema Model (General) Property-centric: Domain and Range
! Property-centric: Each property specifies what
classes of subjects and objects it relates. New
! The RDF Schema class and property system is
properties can be added to a class without similar to the type systems of object-oriented
modifying the class programming languages such as Java. However,
" resource, class, subClassOf, type RDF differs from many such systems in that
" property, subPropertyOf instead of defining a class in terms of the
" domain, range, constraintResource, constraintProperty properties its instances may have, an RDF
! Definitions can include constraints which express schema will define properties in terms of the
validation conditions classes of resource to which they apply. This is
" domain constraints link properties with classes the role of the !"#$%"&'()* and !"#$%!(*+,
" range constraints limit property values mechanisms.
! BUT… expressiveness inadequacy and poorly
defined semantics
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Property-centric: Domain and Range 2 RDF Core Classes and Properties 1
rdfs:Resource
! For example, we could define the ,+%(-./&! property
to have a domain of ,+%0&1-',*. and a range of All things described by RDF are called resources, and are
members of the class !"#$%5,$&-!1,.
,+%2,!$&*, whereas a classical OO system might
rdfs:Literal
typically define a class ,+%3&&4 with an attribute
called ,+%(-./&! of type ,+%2,!$&*. Using the RDF The class !"#$%6).,!(7 represents the self-denoting nodes
approach, it is easy for others to subsequently called the 'literals' in the RDF graph structure. Property
define additional properties with a domain of values such as textual strings are examples of RDF literals.
0&1-',*. or a range of ,+%2,!$&*. This can be done rdfs:Class
without the need to re-define the original This corresponds to the generic concept of a type or
description of these classes. category of resource.
! One benefit of the RDF property-centric approach is * RDF class membership is used to represent types or
that it is very easy for anyone to say anything they categories of resources. Two classes may happen to have
want about existing resources, which is one of the the same members, while remaining distinct resources.
architectural principles of the Web.
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Example RDF Core Classes and Properties 2
rdf:Property
<rdfs:Class rdf:ID="Animal"> 8 !"#%2!&9,!.: represents those resources that are RDF
properties.
<rdfs:label>Animal</rdfs:label>
rdf:type
<rdfs:comment> The !"#%.:9, property indicates that a resource is a member
This class of animals is illustrative of a class.
of a number of ontological idioms. * When a resource has an !"#%.:9, property whose value is
some specific class, we say that the resource is an
</rdfs:comment> instance of the specified class.
</rdfs:Class> The value of an !"#%.:9, property will always be a resource
that is an instance of !"#$%;7($$. The resource known as
!"#$%;7($$ is itself a resource of !"#%.:9, !"#$%;7($$.
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Example RDF Core Classes and Properties 3
<rdf:Property rdf:ID="hasParent"> rdfs:subClassOf
<rdfs:domain rdf:resource="#Animal"/>
The !"#$%$-<;7($$=# property represents a specialisation
<rdfs:range rdf:resource="#Animal"/>
relationship between classes of resources. The
</rdf:Property> !"#$%$-<;7($$=# property is transitive.
rdfs:subPropertyOf
<rdf:DatatypeProperty rdf:ID="shoesize"> The property !"#$%$-<2!&9,!.:=# is an instance of !"#%2!&9,!.:
<rdfs:comment>shoesize is a DatatypeProperty whose that is used to specify that one property is a specialisation
range is xsd:decimal. shoesize is also a UniqueProperty
of another.
(can only have one shoesize)
</rdfs:comment> Sub-property hierarchies can be used to express hierarchies
of range and domain constraints.
<rdf:type
rdf:resource="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/daml+oil#UniqueProperty"/> * The term 'super-property' is sometimes used to indicate
<rdfs:range the relationship between some property and another more
rdf:resource="http://www.w3.org/2000/10/XMLSchema#decimal"/>
general property that it is a !"#$%$-<2!&9,!.:=#.
</rdf:DatatypeProperty>
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Example RDF Core Classes and Properties 4
rdfs:range and rdfs:domain
An instance of !"#$%2!&9,!.:>8used to indicate class(es) that
<rdfs:Class rdf:ID="Male"> the values of a property will be members of.
<rdfs:subClassOf rdf:resource="#Animal"/> The value of an !"#$%!(*+,8&!8!"#$%"&'()* property is always a
</rdfs:Class> rdfs:;7($$. The !"#$%!(*+,8&!8!"#$%"&'()* property can itself be
used to express this, e.g: the !"#$%!(*+, of !"#$%!(*+, is the
class !"#$%;7($$. This indicates that any resource that is the
<rdf:Property rdf:ID="hasFather">
value of a range property will be a class.
<rdfs:subPropertyOf rdf:resource="#hasParent"/>
The !"#$%!(*+,8(*"8!"#$%"&'()* property is only applied to
<rdfs:range rdf:resource="#Male"/> properties. The !"#$%"&'()* of !"#$%!(*+, is the class
</rdf:Property> !"#%2!&9,!.:. This indicates that the !(*+, property applies to
resources that are themselves properties.
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RDF Core Classes and Properties 4’ RDF Core Classes and Properties 5
rdfs:label
The !"#$%7(<,7 property is used to provide a human-readable
Note: range, domain, and sub-property hierarchies version of a resource's name.
Sub-property hierarchies can be used to express hierarchies rdfs:comment
of range and domain constraints. All !"#$%!(*+, and The !"#$%1&'',*. property is used to provide a human-
!"#$%"&'()* properties that apply to an RDF property also readable description of a resource.
apply to each of its sub-properties. A textual comment helps clarify the meaning of RDF classes
and properties. Such inline documentation complements the
use of both formal techniques (Ontology and rule
languages) and informal (prose documentation, examples,
test cases). A variety of documentation forms can be
combined to indicate the intended meaning of the classes
and properties described in an RDF Schema. Multilingual
text is supported with ?'7%7(*+@
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RDF Container Classes and Properties 1 RDF Container Classes and Properties 2
rdfs:Container rdfs:ContainerMembershipProperty
The !"#$%;&*.()*,! class is a super-class of the RDF Container The !"#$%;&*.()*,!D,'<,!$/)92!&9,!.: class has as members
classes, i.e., !"#%3(+, !"#%A,B, !"#%C7.. the property !"#$%','<,! and the properties EF>8EG>8EH>8@@@ that
rdf:Bag can be used to indicate membership of Bag, Seq, and Alt
containers. !"#$%;&*.()*,!D,'<,!$/)92!&9,!.: is a subclass of
The !"#%3(+ class represents RDF's 'Bag' container construct,
!"#%2!&9,!.:. Each container membership property is a
and is a subclass of !"#$%;&*.()*,!.
!"#$%$-<2!&9,!.:=# the !"#$%','<,! property.
rdf:Seq
rdfs:member
The !"#%A,B class represents RDF's 'Sequence' container
The !"#$%','<,! property is a super-property of the
construct, and is a subclass of !"#$%;&*.()*,!.
container membership properties.
rdf:Alt
(That is, each numbered container membership property
The !"#%A,B class represents RDF's 'Alt' container construct, has a !"#$%$-<2!&9,!.:=# relationship to the property
and is a subclass of !"#$%;&*.()*,!. !"#$%','<,!).
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RDF Container Classes and Properties 3 RDF Utility Classes and Properties 1
rdf:List rdfs:seeAlso
The !"#%6)$. class represents the class of RDF Lists. It is used The property !"#$%$,,C7$& is used to indicate a resource that might
with the 'first', 'rest' and 'nil' constructs, and has special provide additional RDF information about the subject resource.
case support in the RDF/XML syntax. rdfs:isDefinedBy
rdf:first The property !"#$%)$0,#)*,"3: is a subproperty of !"#$%$,,C7$&, and
The !"#%#)!$. property represents a relationship between an indicates the resource defining the subject resource.
!"#%6)$. and its first item. rdf:value
rdf:rest The !"#%I(7-, property identifies the principal value (usually a string)
of a property when the property value is a structured resource.
The !"#%!,$. property represents a relationship between an
!"#%6)$. item and the rest of the list, or its end (i.e., !"#%*)7).
rdf:nil The !"#%*)7 resource represents an empty !"#%6)$..
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RDF Utility Classes and Properties 2 RDF Utility Classes and Properties 3
rdf:Statement The !"#%A.(.,',*. class represents statements about rdf:predicate
the properties of resources. The predicate of an RDF statement.
8 !"#%A.(.,',*. is the domain of the properties !"#%9!,")1(.,, The !"#$%"&'()* of !"#%9!,")1(., is !"#%A.(.,',*. and the !"#$%!(*+,
!"#%$-<J,1. and !"#%&<J,1.. is !"#$%5,$&-!1,. This property can be used to specify the predicate
Different individual !"#%A.(.,',*. instances may happen to have the used in an RDF statement.
same values for their predicate, subject, and object properties. rdf:object
rdf:subject The subject of an RDF statement. The object of an RDF statement.
The !"#%$-<J,1. property indicates a resource that is the subject of The !"#$%"&'()* of !"#%&<J,1. is !"#%A.(.,',*.. No range is defined
some RDF statement. for this property since values of !"#$%&<J,1. can include both Literals
The !"#$%"&'()* of !"#%$-<J,1. is !"#%A.(.,',*. and the !"#$%!(*+, is and Resources. This property can be used to specify the object of
an RDF statement.
!"#$%5,$&-!1,. This property can be used to specify the resource
described by an RDF statement.
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