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Resource Description Framework (RDF)

Contents: Specifications | Bookmarks (Intro * Articles) | Projects and Applications | Developer tools | Schemas | Related Technologies | Timeline

Nearby: Semantic Web Advanced Development | RDF Validator | Resource Guide | Scratchpad

The Resource Description Framework (RDF) integrates a variety of applications from library catalogs and world-wide directories to syndication and aggregation of news, software, and content to personal collections of music, photos, and events using XML as an interchange syntax. The RDF specifications provide a lightweight ontology system to support the exchange of knowledge on the Web.

The W3C Semantic Web Activity Statement explains W3C's plans for RDF, including the RDF Core WG, Web Ontology and the RDF Interest Group.

RDF Specification Development

The RDF Specifications build on URI and XML technologies. The RDF suite of specifications consist of:

RDF/XML Syntax Specification (Revised)

W3C Recommendation

Dave Beckett, ed.

RDF Vocabulary Description Language 1.0: RDF Schema

W3C Recomendation

Dan Brickley, R.V. Guha, eds.

RDF Primer

W3C Recommendation

Frank Manola, Eric Miller, eds.

Resource Description Framework (RDF): Concepts and Abstract Syntax

W3C Recommendation

Graham Klyne, Jeremy Carroll, eds.

RDF Semantics

W3C Recommendation

Patrick Hayes, ed.

RDF Test Cases

W3C Recommendation

Jan Grant, Dave Beckett, eds.

These documents are intended to jointly replace the original Resource Description Framework specifications, RDF Model and Syntax (1999 Recommendation) and RDF Schema (1999 Proposed Recommendation).

RDF along with OWL are Semantic Web specifications.

Other relevant RDF W3C technical reports include:

Composite Capability/Preference Profiles (CC/PP): Structure and Vocabularies 1.0

W3C Recommendation 15 January 2004. Graham Klyne, Franklin Reynolds, Chris Woodrow, Hidetaka Ohto, Johan Hjelm, Mark H. Butler, Luu Tran

CC/PP 1.0 is a system for expressing device capabilities and user preferences using RDF making it easier to deliver Web content to devices.

Evaluation and Report Language (EARL) 1.0

W3C Working Draft 06 December 2002. Wendy Chisholm, Sean B. Palmer

EARL is a general-purpose language for expressing test results and defines a basic vocabulary in terms of RDF.

An RDF Schema for P3P

W3C Note 25 January 2002, Brian McBride, Rigo Wenning, Lorrie Cranor

An RDF Schema for the XML Information Set

W3C Note 06 April 2001, Richard Tobin

Harvesting RDF Statements from XLinks

W3C Note 29 September 2000, Ron Daniel Jr.

Accessibility Features of SVG

W3C Note 7 Aug 2000. Charles McCathieNevile, Marja-Riitta Koivunen discussion Sep 2000. implements an SVG-to-text convertor.

PICS Rating Vocabularies in XML/RDF

W3C NOTE 27 March 2000

Cambridge Communiquй

W3C NOTE Oct 1999 on application schema layering

Web Architecture: Describing and Exchanging Data

Berners-Lee, Connolly, Swick, W3C Note 7 June 1999

Document Content Description for XML

submitted July 1998 to the W3C by IBM and Microsoft. DCD is an RDF vocabulary to define document constraints in an XML syntax.

W3C Data Formats

W3C NOTE 29-October-1997, Tim Berners-Lee

See also Tim Berners-Lee's writings on Web Design Issues including Metadata Architecture and the OWL specifications which build on RDF and provide language for defining structured, Web-based ontologies which enable richer integration and interoperability of data among descriptive communities.

Bookmarks: Recommended Reading

These sites track developments related to RDF:

Practical RDF by Shelly Powers

Dave Beckett's Resource Description Framework (RDF) Resource Guide indexes RDF resources, including examples, documents, software, tools and projects that use it. since 1998.

XMLhack site tracks RDF developments and discussion

AgentWeb provides a resource guide and newsfeed covering Agent-related technologies

SemanticWeb.org, coordinated by Stefan Decker, tracks RDF and Semantic Web related events and provides detailed background information on related technologies.

The Eclectic weblog provides a summary of the (high traffic) XML-DEV mailing list. since Sep 1999

RDF Introductions and Overviews

While the RDF specs provide the most in-depth details about RDF, a number of shorter overviews and presentations are also available, for developers and for a general audience.

RDF and Metadata, Tim Bray, June 09, 1998, xml.com

Getting into RDF & Semantic Web using N3, Tim Berners-Lee

Peer-to-Peer and the Semantic Web: The Power of Metadata, book chapter by Rael Dornfest & Dan