[sc34wg3] N0391-0394: New SAM/XTM documents

[Jan Algermissen]

Robert Barta wrote:

> > Now the question is for me, what is missing in TMM?
> >
> > Right now, the TMM defines the semantics of all the components of
> > a real-world relationship (the definition of the assertion structure).
> > What else should it define regarding semantics?
> 
>    Given a TM and a constraint C: What is the result of applying the constraint?

What exactly do you mean by constraint?

>    Given a TM and a query Q: What is the result of the application?

I have developed a query language that is expressed solely in terms of the
TMM (meaning that it works for any TMA) and I'll try to think what I can
do with it regarding your sentence above.


>    Given a TM and another TM': What is the reuslt of merging?

The TMM says that.

>    Given a TM and an update U: What is the result?

An update in topic maps land is a merge, right?

> 
> But this is - obviously - connected with what languages we will use
> for this. 

So, I'd have to write a constraint language for TMM, yes?


> And this is exactly my point: I cannot see how TMM/SAM can
> host infrastructure for something where we have not decided what it
> should do.

I don't understand you here, can you explain? 
> 
> I might be wrong here, but my gutt feeling tells me that including
> this into the discussion now would be to put the cart before the
> horse. I would feel much better if we would concentrate on the (a)
> 'simple processing conformance' now and do a revisiting how SAM/TMM
> correlate with the query processing model (b) later.

I think we first have to define what topic maps essentially are (what
are the essentials of the topic map data model) so I assume I think
just the opposite of what you think.

> In many cases applications will only need (a) for the time being,
> anyway, I would guess. And: The simpler (a) is, the better the chances
> to harmonize it with (b).

What does 'simple' mean in this context? I'd say that we cannot get much simpler
than the TMM, or?

Jan

> 
> \rho

-- 
Jan Algermissen                           http://www.topicmapping.com
Consultant & Programmer	                  http://www.gooseworks.org