Re: ASSERTION, QUESTION, SUGGESTION

From: Drew McDermott (drew.mcdermott@yale.edu)
Date: 04/05/02


      One very brief answer to why use DAML as opposed to XML is that a set of 
   DAML statements by itself (and the DAML spec) can allow you to conclude 
   another DAML statement whereas a set of XML statements, by itself (and the 
   XML spec) does not allow you to conclude any other DAML statements.  To 
   employ XML to generate new data, you need knowledge embedded in some 
   procedural code somewhere, rather than explicitly stated, as in DAML.
      For example, the triples

   (motherOf subProperty parentOf)
   (Mary motherOf Bill)

   when stated in DAML, allows you to conclude

   (Mary parentOf Bill)

   based on the logical definition of "subProperty" as given in the DAML 
   spec.  The same information stated in XML does not allow you to assert the 
   third fact.  XML itself provides no semantics for its tags.  One might 
   create a program that assigns similar semantics to a "subProperty" tag, but 
   since that semantics isn't part of the XML spec, applications could be 
   written which conform to the XML spec, and yet do not make that assertion.

   Adam

You've hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned.  Why not
crank out a little white paper?

                                             -- Drew


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