[topicmapmail] Any PSI for the concept of topic map?

[Murray Altheim]

Bernard Vatant wrote:
> I've been asked the following question today and was very confused not to be able to
> answer properly.
> 
> "Is there any available PSI for the *concept* of topic map - not the topicMap element in
> an XTM file?"
> 
> My quick answer was that such a PSI would first require some consensus of what a topic map
> *is*.
> But I aknowledge it's sweeping the question under the carpet.
> 
> So, is there?

Bernard,

I don't think there's one explicitly designed for that purpose yet,
but a URI that pointed to a complete specification of the concept
would likely do. Since I'm guessing that the PSI will be used in an
XTM-based application, the XTM namespace URI could be considered as
a fairly canonical identifier for "Topic Maps as defined in XTM",
or perhaps the URL of the spec itself. This identifies a fairly
voluminous description of the concept in human-readable form. It
doesn't get much better than that.

Alternately, if there were a canonical URI for an appropriate ISO
specification, that would certainly do. Since ISO won't publish
their specs online, only an unofficial one is likely available. I
will avoid getting into the battle over the official definition...

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                    http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK               .

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