A Pluggable Architectural Model and a Formally Specified Programming Language Independent API for an Ontological Knowledge Base Server

Paar, A., Reuter, J. and Schaeffer, J.

Recently, ontology engineering has become ever more important when it comes to conceptualize knowledge. However, writing software applications that operate on ontological knowledge still suffers from a lack of connectivity provided by available ontology management systems. Interfaces of ontology management systems are either based on error prone programming language agnostic remoting protocols or they are restricted to one particular programming language. We implemented an ontological Knowledge Base Server, which can expose the functionality of arbitrary off-the-shelf ontology management systems via arbitrary remoting protocols. Based on XML Schema Definition, we defined a fullfledged API for processing OWL ontologies. Client access code can be generated automatically for virtually any object oriented programming language. Using Description Logics terminology, the Knowledge Base Server API was formally specified, such that it could be used to validate implementations based on three different adapted ontology management systems.

Cite as: Paar, A., Reuter, J. and Schaeffer, J. (2005). A Pluggable Architectural Model and a Formally Specified Programming Language Independent API for an Ontological Knowledge Base Server. In Proc. Australasian Ontology Workshop (AOW 2005), Sydney, Australia. CRPIT, 58. Meyer, T. and Orgun, M. A., Eds. ACS. 83-91.

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