From: Peter F. Patel-Schneider (pfps@research.bell-labs.com)
Date: 01/09/01
I agree with Pat. If there is no meaningful difference between about= and ID=, then there should be clear communication to that effect. peter From: pat hayes <phayes@ai.uwf.edu> Subject: Re: about vs. ID Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 11:55:32 -0800 > Mike Dean wrote: > >My opinion (written before Frank's latest message): > > > >I used only about= in most of the DAML I've generated, but > >have come to believe that ID= is the preferred idiom > >(especially for Classes and Properties). ID= simplifies > >the naming issues and signals the author's intent that this > >is the "primary" definition of the object. Conversely, > >about= signals the author's intent that he is making an > >assertion about "someone else's" object. > > I think this gets to the heart of the issue. Is such an 'intent' > actually meaningful in the language? Does it have any semantic > content? If not, then it is probably a mistake to give users the > impression that they are signalling something that they are in fact > not saying, even if it makes them feel better. Either they should be > told clearly that the apparent distinction isnt in fact a meaningful > distinction, or else the language should be modified so that the > distinction they want to make is in fact reflected in the semantics > somewhere. > > >Two IDs can exist for a given URI only in the same page. A > >DAML Validator should issue a warning if multiple IDs exist > >for the same name. It should also probably suggest that > > > > about="#name" > > > >be replaced with > > > > ID="name" > > > >I think DAML+OIL should continue to support both ID= and > >about= and that "best practice" should encourage the > >appropriate use of both. > > As I understand the situation, there isnt an appropriate use for both > right now, since they mean the same thing. > > Pat > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > IHMC (850)434 8903 home > 40 South Alcaniz St. (850)202 4416 office > Pensacola, FL 32501 (850)202 4440 fax > phayes@ai.uwf.edu > http://www.coginst.uwf.edu/~phayes >
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