RE: [xtm-wg] parallel development of syntax and concept models

["Michel Biezunski" <mb@infoloom.com>]

[Jim Faruggia]
> Here goes....
>
> >The Hyperlink Perspective
> >=====================
> >
> >The "Hyperlink perspective", also (abusively) called "syntax", says
> >basically: Topic maps are made of 2 hyperlinks: one is called topic,
> >another one is called an association. The topic hyperlink has a
> >supplementary property: it has name(s). The association hyperlink has
> >a supplementary constraint: it can only connect topic links. Both
> >hyperlinks can be scoped. That's basically it.
>
> There is an initial confusion I have when I hear both "topic" and
> "association"
> described as "links".  It seems more natural that the word "topic" should
> refer to, say, a node or "that which is connected to another
> topic by a link".
> That is, it seems to be a place, a destination, a thing that can
> be connected,
> rather than a link between things that can be connected.  On the
> other hand,
> it seems to make good sense that an association is thought of more
> as a link than as that which is to be linked.
>
> Can someone please help clarify this for me?  It really does seem
> that "topic" does somehow have a dual meaning - as an endpoint of
> a link, or as a link itself.

This is why it took us 3 years to find that out. We choose the word "topic"
because it means both a location ("topos") and a subject. As a matter of
fact
you have perfectly understood what makes the concept of "topic" in topic
maps
special.

> Under this perspective, what are the individual objects that are
> the binding
> points?  Are these objects the topic occurrences - the actual stuff that
> is addressed?  Should these binding points be thought of as, again, nodes
> of some sort?

Yes, they are nodes, but they are "emerging properties"  rather than actual
objects. This view is more abstract than the other in the sense that it's
more
difficult to represent it concretely. Topic occurrences are not the binding
points,
they are related to these binding points. It's rather "occurrence
assignment" that is
related to "topic" (as binding point). But I realize this needs further
explanation.

Michel
==========================================
Michel Biezunski, InfoLoom, Inc.
Tel +33 1 44 59 84 29 Cell +33 6 03 99 25 29
Email: mb@infoloom.com  Web: www.infoloom.com
==========================================


-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~>
Need EDA tools on a short term or peak load basis?
Take a free 7 day trial!
http://click.egroups.com/1/8464/4/_/337252/_/967480400/
---------------------------------------------------------------------_->

To Post a message, send it to:   xtm-wg@eGroups.com

To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: xtm-wg-unsubscribe@eGroups.com