DAML Language and Applications

Mike Dean
Principal Investigator, DAML Integration and Transition
[email protected]

Semantic Web for the Military User
TIC
Arlington, VA
6 June 2001

http://www.daml.org/2001/06/swday-daml/Overview.html

$Id: all.htm,v 1.8 2001/06/06 12:28:45 mdean Exp $

Objectives

support World Wide Web (WWW) content that is easily used by intelligent agents and other programs
enable the Semantic Web
- Scientific American article

Approach

leverage existing work
- W3C Resource Description Framework (RDF)
- European Ontology Inference Layer (OIL)
- UMaryland Simple HTML Ontology Extensions (SHOE)
work with W3C to define the language (standards transition)
work openly (www.daml.org)
develop prototype tools to span the DAML lifecycle
- ontology creation and editing
- ontology translation and mapping
- distributed knowledge bases
- markup editors
- validation services
- DAML APIs
- DAML-aware browsers
- ...
- applications

Efforts to Date

several jumpstart efforts
formal kickoff in August 2000
3 "homework" assignments to get everyone up to speed
- project home pages
- queries/life cycle
- large-scale content
3 language releases
various tools developed
PI Meetings in February and July

DAML Language

Joint Committee
- US DAML and EU Semantic Web Technologies participants
DAML+OIL
- released January 2001
DAML+OIL (March 2001)
- adds XML Schema data types
technical discussions take place on the [email protected] email list
see here and subsequent slides

DAML Language: Content Example

<rdf:RDF xmlns:a="http://www.daml.org/2001/01/gedcom/gedcom#"
         xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
         xmlns:daml="http://www.daml.org/2000/12/daml+oil#">
  <a:Individual rdf:ID="@I1@"
                a:givenName="Michael Anthony"
                a:surname="Dean"
                a:sex="M">
    <a:spouseIn rdf:resource="#@F1@"/>
    <a:childIn rdf:resource="#@F2@"/>
    <a:birth rdf:resource="#event1820"/>
    <daml:equivalentTo rdf:resource="mailto:[email protected]"/>
  </a:Individual>
  <a:Birth rdf:ID="event1820"
           a:date="7 Aug 1961"
           a:place="Wyandotte, Wayne Co., Michigan"/>
  ...
</rdf:RDF>

DAML Language: Graph

produced using GraphViz

DAML Language: Ontology Example

see http://www.daml.org/2001/01/gedcom/gedcom.daml (hyperdaml) (dumpont)

DAML Language: Key Features

grounded in the WWW (URI naming, XML syntax, HTTP) -- strong implications for diversity, scalability, security, etc.
adding properties about someone else's classes
tagging/reification/quoting -- statements about statements
formal semantics: model-theoretic and axiomatic
...

DAML Language: Future Work

incorporate feedback
proposal(s) to new W3C Semantic Web Activity
rules
possible layering
logic, proof-checking
...

DAML Program Research Areas

language design
ontology development: UML, PowerPoint, composition
services: WWW gateways, description
ontology translation
distributed query processing / inference
report generation
security: signed XML, trust
...

Closely Related Efforts

DAML Tools

DAML Ontology Library: clearinghouse (150+ ontologies)
RDF API: Java parser and serializer
OilEd: ontology editor
Chimaera: ontology analyzer
DAML Validator
DAML Crawler: spider (2.4M+ statements)
DAML Viewer, PalmDAML, and HyperDAML: navigator GUIs
HAIRCUT: text/DAML search engine
...

DAML Applications

UMBC IT Talks
ISI todo
Horus
...

Summary

DAML program is off to a good start
EU collaboration, W3C transition
some results already available (language, tools, ontologies, content, applications)
more info is available at http://www.daml.org