Re: [xtm-wg] Questions on topic maps

["H. Holger Rath" <hhr@step.de>]

Hi,

Ivan Uemlianin wrote:
> Dear Steve
> 
> Thank you for your reply.  However, it doesn't really allay my concerns.
> 
> > > ISO 13250 provides a mechanism to
> > > represent the difference between a topic which just happened only/not to
> > > have any characteristics within a certain scope, and a topic which in
> > > principle could only/not have characteristics within a certain scope?
> namely, scope attributes of topic elements: a topic which has an
> interpretation only in biology could be represented as something like [1].
> 
> [1] <topic scope="biology"><name>dysfunction</name> ... </topic>
> 
> This is different from [2].
> 
> [2] <topic><name scope="biology">dysfunction</name> ... </topic>
> 
> Given some UI and accessing this topic map from outside the scope "biology",
> topic2 would show up with no characteristics, whereas topic1 would be
> invisible and inaccessible.  I feel it is important to allow this
> distinction.

I totally agree. And this is not only a UI issue. It is also an issue how
the concepts work together on the semantic level.

The typical answer to the question Ivan raised is "assign the same scope 
to all the characteristics of a topic" but this *is not* the same as as 
saying "this concept (reified by a topic) is only valid in a certain scope"
and the latter cannot be expressed in TM world (or can it?).

I hope we will have some discussions concerning this issue in
Montreal (SC34 WG3 meeting).

--Holger

-- 
Dr. H. Holger Rath <holger.rath@empolis.com>
Director Research & Development
empolis GmbH, Havelstr. 9, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany
http://www.empolis.com/ -- mobile: +49.172.66.90.427
phone: +49.6151.380.292 -- fax: +49.6151.380.488



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