Network configuration with RDF

bullet1 About RDF

bullet2 Notation3 format

Notation 3 [1] is an alternative syntax for RDF

  • Notation 3 is easier than the XML syntax for people to write and read
  • The home network configuration example uses Notation 3 for its RDF data
  • Here is a Notation 3 representation of the previous example :

@prefix rdfs:     <http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#> .
@prefix foaf:     <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
@prefix user:     <http://id.ninebynine.org/wip/2002/user/> .
@prefix homenet:  <http://id.ninebynine.org/wip/2002/homenet/> .

homenet:GK a foaf:Person ;
    foaf:name           "Graham Klyne" ;
    user:usesHost       homenet:twoflower ;
    user:usesHost       homenet:octarine ;
    user:accessType     homenet:WorkAccess .

homenet:octarine a user:HostSystem ;
    rdfs:label          "Graham's workstation" ;
    user:hostName       "octarine" ;
    user:localNet       homenet:atuin ;
    user:hostIP         "193.123.216.74" .


Note, the basic form reflects the graph, with each arc represented by:

    subject  property  object .

Multiple properties for a subject are separated by semicolons ( ';' ):

    subject  property1  object1 ;
             property2  object2 ;
              :
             propertyn  objectn .

Multiple values for a property are separated by commas ( ',' ):

    subject  property1  object11 ,
                        object12 ,
                         :
                        object1N ;
              :
             propertyn  objectn .

Properties enclosed in square brackets are applied to some unspecified subject.  This form is used for identifying concepts by description:

    [ property1  object1 ;
      property2  object2 ;
       :
      propertyn  objectn ] .

[1] Getting into RDF & Semantic Web using N3: http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/Primer.html