RDF Schema (RDFS)
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RDF Schema (RDFS) is an extension of RDF.
RDF Schema and Application Classes
RDF describes resources through classes, properties, and values.
In addition, RDF also needs a method to define application-specific classes and properties. Application-specific classes and properties must be defined using extensions to RDF.
RDF Schema is such an extension.
RDF Schema (RDFS)
RDF Schema does not provide actual application-specific classes and properties, but provides a framework for describing application-specific classes and properties.
The classes in RDF Schema are very similar to those in object-oriented programming languages. This allows resources to be defined as instances of classes and subclasses of classes.
RDFS Instance
The following example demonstrates some aspects of the capabilities of RDFS:
<?xml version="1.0"?> <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf= "http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#" xml:base= "http://www.animals.fake/animals#"> <rdf:Description rdf:ID="animal"> <rdf:type rdf:resource="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Class"/> </rdf:Description> <rdf:Description rdf:ID="horse"> <rdf:type rdf:resource="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Class"/> <rdfs:subClassOf rdf:resource="#animal"/> </rdf:Description> </rdf:RDF>
In the above example, the resource "horse" is a subclass of the class "animal".
Shortened Example
Since a RDFS class is a RDF resource, we can shorten the above example by using rdfs:Class instead of rdf:Description and omitting the rdf:type information:
<?xml version="1.0"?> <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf= "http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#" xml:base= "http://www.animals.fake/animals#"> <rdfs:Class rdf:ID="animal" /> <rdfs:Class rdf:ID="horse"> <rdfs:subClassOf rdf:resource="#animal"/> </rdfs:Class> </rdf:RDF>
Just like that!
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