SpreadSheetNotationForRdf

A spread sheet style notation for RDF (RDF/SpreadSheet) When we handle a large amount of data, there are important subjects to improve its readability, storage efficiency, and writability. And, it is the same also in the RDF data.

However, the storage efficiency of XML that is one of the typical RDF notation is low though its readability is good.

On the other hand, the classic data notation such as CSV or spread sheet is good for the readability, writability, and storage efficiency, though it is expressible only simple data structures. However, the spread sheet is still often used. That is, it is still effective in a lot of applications to process a lot of data with a simple, common data structure at the same time. Then, the RDF notation of the spread sheet style shall be necessary.

Notation

Basic Rule

type	predicate1	predicate2
subject1	object1_1	object1_2
subjedt2	object2_1	object2_2
..	..	..

Equivalent triples in Turtle:

• subject1 rdf:type type .
• subject1 predicate1 object1_1 .
• subject1 predicate2 object1_2 .
• subject2 rdf:type type .
• subject2 predicate1 object2_1 .
• subject2 predicate2 object2_2 .

URI

The notation of URI refering to the Turtle.

URI :: = "<" relativeURI ">"
example
 <http://example.org/>

Literals

In the notation of literal, a double quotation can be omitted.

LITERAL :: = (#x22) scharacter (#x22)
example
 "Mt Everest"
 Mt Everest

Use of prefix

The shortening type of URI that uses the name space can be described by the prefix that refers to Turtle.

Blank Node

It can construct the structure using blank node. And, it is provided referring to the Turtle. However, a single hierarchy is recommended.

type	predicate1 [ predicate1a	predicate1b ]	predicate2
subject1	object1a	object1b	object2
..	..	..	..

Equivalent triples in Turtle:

• subject1 rdf:type type .
• subject1 predicate1 _:p1 .
• _:p1 predicate1a object1a .
• _:p1 predicate1a object1b .
• subject1 predicate2 object2 .

Examples

@prefix dc: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/> .
@prefix rdfs: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/> .
@prefix foaf: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/> .
@prefix go: <http://geo.example.org/> .

rdfs:Resource	dc:title
	Yamaotoko
	Moritomizuumi

Denotations of RDF/SpreadSheet

• RDF/CSV (Comma Separated Values)
• RDF/TSV (TAB Separated Values)
• RDF/HTML-Tables ?
• RDF/Wiki-Tables ?
• ...

Related Softwares

Converters to RDF/XML

• Excel macro
• Servlet