Search code examples
rdfsemantic-webrdfs

Is this pure RDF or RDF Schema statement?


<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
             xmlns:contact="http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/pim/contact#">

  <contact:Person rdf:about="http://www.w3.org/People/EM/contact#me">
    <contact:fullName>Eric Miller</contact:fullName>
    <contact:mailbox rdf:resource="mailto:[email protected]"/>
    <contact:personalTitle>Dr.</contact:personalTitle> 
  </contact:Person>

</rdf:RDF>

In this example, is the document RDF schema or pure RDF? The RDF Primer document states that:

     "RDF itself provides no means for defining such application-specific 
classes and properties. Instead, such classes and properties are described 
as an RDF vocabulary, using extensions to RDF provided by RDF Schema... "

In above example, are the "Person" and "contact:fullName" etc are "application-specific classes and properties"? If that's the case, should RDF always be used together with RDF Schema?


Solution

  • Your RDF/XML snippet serializes an RDF graph. The graph uses properties with the namespace http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/pim/contact#. Dereferencing the URI of the namespace will probably yield to a document serializing an RDF graph that uses the RDF schema vocabulary to describe the meaning of the properties in this namespace. Knowing the meaning of the properties used in your graph will allow you to understand what the RDF graph serialized by the above RDF/XML expresses.