Re: ebXML Representtion of Metadata

["Martin Bryan" <mtbryan@sgml.u-net.com>]

Bob

> I propose the following condition be
> satisfied for any document which claims ebXML compliance:
>
> Compliance to ebXML specifications requires
> that each XML element that appears in an XML document asserting ebXML
> compliance shall:
> * provide a pointer, either as an explicit attribute definition in the
> XML element usage instance or by prior reference to a default attribute
> definition for the XML element to an RDF/XML representation of metadata
> associated with the XML element
> * define in each referenced RDF at least such minimal properties as
> may be specified as required for compliance by the ebXML specifications.

The ebXML technical architecture already requires that each element in an
XML model be linkable by a URI to the definition for that element in a
registered repository. The definition, in turn, references the UML
definition of the model/pattern from which the element is derived. There
seems to be no point in having an additional pointer to an RDF definition
that duplicates the UML model.

Note: If the requirement to use UML is dropped then RDF might be considered
as an alternative representation, but this seems unlikely to happen
according to present drafts of the ebXML specifications.

Martin Bryan
Core Components Group