RDF/A: Embedding RDF in XHTML
RDF is a knowledge representation language. When using RDF to describe existing metadata on the Web, we often run into the problem of having two copies of the metadata: one in HTML and the other in RDF.
RDF/A is a new language syntax for embedding RDF metadata within XHTML. This new language syntax is introduced in a recent W3C Working Draft — “RDF/A Prime 1.0“.
Here is an example how one can embed FOAF description directly in an XHTML page:
Original XHTML document:
[code lang=”HTML”]
Hello. This is Harry Chen’s home page.
Work
If you want to contact me at work, you can
either email
me, or call 703.669.5510
[/code]
Embedding FOAF description within in the same XHTML document:
[code lang=”HTML”]
Hello. This is Harry Chen’s home page.
Work
If you want to contact me at work, you can
either email
me, or call
703.669.5510
[/code]
The following RDF statements can be extracted from the embedded RDF/A description:
<> foaf:name "Harry Chen"^^rdf:XMLLiteral ; foaf:mbox <mailto:harryc@imagem.cc> ; foaf:phone "703.669.5510"^^rdf:XMLLiteral .
I think RDF/A is interesting not only because it’s a compact way to express RDF within HTML, but also its syntax is kind of like microformat. Since the use of microformat is increasing popular, perhaps the emergence of RDF/A will encourage the use of Semantic Web languages (such as RDF and OWL) in main stream web applications.
[…] RDF/A is a syntax for layering RDF information on any XML document, via attributes. GeoRSS is a syntax for annotating geographical information in RSS feeds. In the past, I’ve showed examples using RDF/A. […]
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