nerc datagrid vocabulary server access vocabulary workshop, ral, february 25, 2009

NERC DataGridNERC DataGrid

Vocabulary Server AccessVocabulary Server Access

Vocabulary Workshop, RAL, February 25, 2009Vocabulary Workshop, RAL, February 25, 2009


Vocabulary AccessVocabulary Access

There are five ways to access the SeaDataNet vocabularies

Term and list URLs

HTTP-POX interface

SOAP API

BODC client interface

SeaDataNet Vocabulary Portal



Term and List URLs

User input is a URL

Returns an XML document based on the SKOS standard

List documents include labels and definitions for all terms in the list

Term documents include labels, definition and mappings for the term



URL syntax

Namespace base (http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/) ‘list’ or ‘term’ List identifier (e.g. P021) List version or ‘current’ Term identifier for term URL (e.g. TEMP)

Examples

List (SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary) http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current/

Term (CF Standard Name for sea temperature) http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/term/P071/current/CFSN0335



<?xml version="1.0" ?>

- <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:skos="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">

- <skos:Concept rdf:about="http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/term/P071/7/CFSN0335">

<skos:externalID>SDN:P071:7:CFSN0335</skos:externalID>

<skos:prefLabel>sea_water_temperature</skos:prefLabel>

<skos:altLabel />

<skos:definition />

<dc:date>2008-02-26T10:02:57.564+0000</dc:date>

<skos:exactMatch rdf:resource="http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/term/P041/4/G963" />

<skos:broadMatch rdf:resource="http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/term/P021/24/TEMP" />

</skos:Concept>

</rdf:RDF>



In SeaDataNet data and metadata we use URNs, not URLs (in case the server namespace changes)

URN syntax is Namespace base (SDN) List identifier (e.g. P021) List version or null field for ‘current’ Term identifier (e.g. TEMP)

For example the URL http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current/TEMP is represented by the URN SDN:P021::TEMP

URN to URL conversion is simple string slicing



HTTP-POX API

The API is documented at http://www.bodc.ac.uk/products/web_services/vocab/methods.html

User input is a URL Returns an XML document based on a BODC-defined

schema Provides access to

List catalogue (names all accessible lists)http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/whatLists

List contents (keys, terms, abbreviations, definitions, mappings)

http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/getList?recordKey=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current&earliestRecord=2007-09-01T00:00:00Z

Plaintext searches across listshttp://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/searchVocab?listKey=http://

vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current&searchTerm=*emperature* Term verification (abbreviation WC_Temp in P021)

http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/verifyTerm?listKey=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current/&entryTerm=WC_Temp&termType=short



Provides access to

Mappings– Complete map between two vocabularies (P031/P021)

http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/getMap?subjectList=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P031/current&predicate=2&objectList=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P021/current&inference=false

– Map of all terms in all vocabularies to one term

http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/getRelatedRecordByTerm?subjectTerm=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/term/P021/current/TEMP&predicate=255&inferences=true

– Map of all terms in vocabulary (P211) mapped to terms

in a vocabulary (P211) again containing a string (air temperature). Too big for PowerPoint. Needs to be copied and pasted

http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/axis2/services/vocab/getRelatedRecordByCriteria?subjectText=air%20temperature&caseSensitivity=false&partialMatch=true&predicate=255&inferences=false&subjectList=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P211/current&objectList=http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/P211/current



SOAP API User input is a programmatic service call from Java, Perl,

PHP, Python, etc. application

Returns an XML document based on a BODC-defined schema

Provides access to

List catalogue List contents (keys, terms, abbreviations, definitions,

mappings) Mappings Plaintext searches across lists Term verification

The API is documented at http://www.bodc.ac.uk/products/web_services/vocab/methods.html

The WSDL is available from http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/



BODC Clients

A range of clients are available from http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk

vocabServer.jsp

– provides a catalogue of all lists available

» One or more of these may be selected

» ‘Get checked lists’ displays these in a table rendering

– Allows term labels (full or abbreviated) to be verified against one or more vocabularies

– Allows free text searches in labels or definitions of one or more vocabularies



BODC clients

There are six ‘method call’ clients that give access to specific API method calls and a ‘semantic search’ client

Very basic

Primarily designed as a production system test harness

Some usage tips

– listKeys are specified as list or term URLs

– termType vocabulary is ‘short’, ‘long’, ‘definition’

– If unsure of required predicate set to 255

– Set inference to ‘true’ to include simple inverse relationships



SeaDataNet Vocabulary Portal

User input through a web form at http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_bodc_vocab/welcome.aspx

Returns a human-readable table with key, term, abbreviation, definition and modification date columns

Table may be exported as a semicolon-delimited ‘CSV’ ASCII file

Only includes lists considered to be of interest to SeaDataNet

nerc datagrid vocabulary server access vocabulary workshop, ral, february 25, 2009

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