From: Peter F. Patel-Schneider ([email protected])
Date: 12/11/01
As promised here is the message I sent out webont concerning changes to DAML+OIL. I'm also interested in joint committee members who want to put significant work into this effort. peter Changes needed in DAML+OIL I am concerned that the group is not working on the ontology language itself. There are a number of changes that need to be done to DAML+OIL, largely because of changes that have happened since DAML+OIL was designed. These changes will have to be done no matter what the details of the new language are, unless the group decides to junk DAML+OIL completely and start over with a clean slate. 1/ Semantics The model theory for DAML+OIL predates the new model theory for RDF. I think that the model theory for DAML+OIL needs to be updated to more in tune with the new model theory for RDF. 2/ Syntax Changes to the model theory for DAML+OIL may make a different syntax for DAML+OIL more attractive, or, alternatively, make the current syntax less attractive. I think that it would be better to divide DAML+OIL into two parts---the RDF part and the non-RDF part. The RDF part would, I think, best retain the RDF syntax, but the non-RDF part might be better put in a different syntax. 3/ Datatypes Datatypes in DAML+OIL also predate datatypes in RDF. Further, one goal of the datatype treatment in DAML+OIL was to end up with an RDF-compatible syntax. I think that the treatment of datatypes in DAML+OIL should be readdressed now, as the RDF Core Working Group is addressing datatypes in RDF, so that any issues with datatypes in DAML+OIL can be determined and brought to the attention of the RDF Core Working Group. I am volunteering to work on all three of these topics, and, moreover, to do whatever coordination is needed to get others who will put significant work into these topics to work well together. The goal would be to put something together at least one week before the face-to-face so that the entire working group can discuss it at the face-to-face. Who else is interested in doing significant work on this? Peter F. Patel-Schneider Bell Labs Research
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