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In order to keep the Design Constraints more clear and simple, here are some guidelines for terminology. These terms may move to the glossary when/if they become more stable.

RIF Core
The extensible format specified during Phase 1, suitable by iself for interchanging Horn rules. Constraints on RIF Core concern the Phase 1 work.
Standard RIF
RIF Core extended with some set of extensions approved as Recommendations by the W3C. Constraints on "Standard RIF" concern work in either Phase 2 or by later Working Groups.
Extended RIF
RIF Core extended with some set of extensions not approved as Recommendations by the W3C. Constraints on "Extended RIF" are indirectly constraints on "RIF Core" and thus concern Phase 1 work.
RIF
an ambiguous term usually meaning either "Standard RIF" or "Extended RIF" (or, of course, the Rule Interchange Format Working Group itself!)
RIF Dialect
The language/format formed when combining RIF Core with a particular set of extensions
Cover

A ruleset is covered by a RIF Dialect if that dialect can be used to faithfully convey that ruleset. (Exactly what it means to "faithfully convey" the ruleset still needs to be refined.) A language is covered by a RIF Dialect if and only if all rulesets which can be written in that language are covered.

  • - Example: "Extended RIF must cover full first-order logic" is short for "it must be possible to specify an extension to RIF Core, such that RIF-Core-plus-this-extension forms a language in which one can write all the well-formed formulas of full first-order logic."

    - Another definition proposed by csma during F2F3