RE: [xtm-wg] User API - A new endeavour for topicmaps.org?

["Kal Ahmed" <kal@techquila.com>]

The development of a topic map API was the subject of my paper for Knowledge
Technologies 2001 a few months ago.

I've made an HTML version of that paper available at:
http://www.techquila.com/papers/TMProgModel.html

Cheers,

Kal


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jean Delahousse [mailto:jean.delahousse@mondeca.com]
> Sent: 10 June 2001 00:20
> To: xtm-wg@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [xtm-wg] User API - A new endeavour for topicmaps.org?
>
>
> Hello,
> I strongly support that suggestion of having standard API for TM
> navigation,
> query and editing.
>
> This will allow faster development from the TM community based on
> any engine
> they wish to use.
>
> A lot of us have been working on API and it might be the time to make a
> minimum set of common basic API for the developer community.
>
> Sincerely
>
> Jean Delahousse
> CEO Mondeca
> Mobile : +33(0)6 16 90 73 95
> Tel : +33(0)1 47 46 18 89
> Fax : +33(0)1 47 46 01 09
> www.mondeca.com
>
> > -----Message d'origine-----
> > De : Thomas B. Passin [mailto:tpassin@home.com]
> > Envoyé : vendredi 8 juin 2001 19:04
> > À : xtm-wg@yahoogroups.com
> > Objet : [xtm-wg] User API - A new endeavour for topicmaps.org?
> >
> >
> > Now that there seems to be agreement to leave syntax and essential model
> > development to the ISO work, there is the question of what work
> should be
> > done under the aegis of OASIS or whatever, not that there is any lack of
> > possibilities.
> >
> > I'd like to suggest that there is one area that urgently needs
> > attention and
> > would be a perfect match.  It's a Topic Map API for user
> > programs.  By this
> > designation, I mean to distinguish it from an inteface for building and
> > maintaining a topic map.
> >
> > Such an API should be as uncommitted as possible to the
> > underlying model, so
> > that it would work with multiple implementations.  For example,
> > the user API
> > shouldn't have to know whether the underlying engine uses a graph or a
> > containment model.  After all, the user at a browser (or whatever) won't
> > know or care.
> >
> > Right now, all demo (and more serious) programs have their own
> > code to talk
> > to their own engines.  A good API would allow for developmer to
> > concentrate
> > on the larger issues, such as how the user should interact with
> > the system.
> >
> > A user API would be based on likely user scenarios or use cases.  Some
> > things seem pretty obvious.  For example, users will want to
> see lists of
> > topics, scopes, and associations in some way, but mostly by name.
> >  They will
> > want to get information of a topic having selected it by name,
> > and will want
> > to apply filters that, again, would be selected by name.
> Perhaps the API
> > would even let a user create a topic and add it to the map.
> >
> > A user API would presumably eventually support requests for inferencing
> > based on the nature of associations.
> >
> > Perhaps, topicmaps.org/OASIS could even build a reference implementation
> > based on the API.  That would be extremely valuable.
> >
> > I have been working on an API myself, mainly because I want to play with
> > scopes, selecting, and filtering and will need some way to
> access the map
> > data.  I'd be happy to contribute this rudimentary effort if it
> > might act as
> > a seed for more work.
> >
> > Thoughts and suggestions, anyone?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Tom P
> >
> >
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