Toward a Generic Mapping Language for Transformations between RDF and Data Interchange Formats

TL;DR

This paper introduces a generic mapping language and algorithm for transforming semantic RDF data into XML format, enabling better integration of semantic models with existing software tools in engineering and data interchange.

Contribution

It proposes a novel, user-definable mapping language and algorithm for converting RDF semantic data into XML, facilitating interoperability with common data formats.

Findings

A mapping language for RDF to XML is introduced.

An algorithm for executing the mappings is presented.

Evaluation demonstrates practical applicability in engineering contexts.

Abstract

While there exist approaches to integrate heterogeneous data using semantic models, such semantic models can typically not be used by existing software tools. Many software tools - especially in engineering - only have options to import and export data in more established data interchange formats such as XML or JSON. Thus, if an information which is included in a semantic model needs to be used in a such a software tool, automatic approaches for mapping semantic information into an interchange format are needed. We aim to develop a generic mapping approach that allows users to create transformations of semantic information into a data interchange format with an arbitrary structure which can be defined by a user. This mapping approach is currently being elaborated. In this contribution, we report our initial steps targeted to transformations from RDF into XML. At first, a mapping language is introduced which allows to define automated mappings from ontologies to XML. Furthermore, a mapping algorithm capable of executing mappings defined in this language is presented. An evaluation is done with a use case in which engineering information needs to be used in a 3D modeling tool.