Razorbase Examples Part 4(The File System Approach)

By Sherman Monroe

Razorbase

• A browser for exploring the Linked Open Data cloud using OpenLink Facets API

Live demo available at http://www.razorbase.com

File System Metaphor• Objects in a linked database share similar

structure with things in a file system

Relationships in a File System File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System• Two types of objects: Directory and File

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System• Two types of objects: Directory and File• One type of relationship: Container

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System• Two types of objects: Directory and File• One type of relationship: Container• Two directions for relationships:

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System • Two types of objects: Directory and File• One type of relationship: Container• Two directions for relationships:

– parent (Container)

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System• Two types of objects: Directory and File• One type of relationship: Container• Two directions for relationships:

– parent (Container) – child (… is Container of)

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System

directory

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System

… is Container of

directorydirectory

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System

… is Container of

directorydirectorydirectory

… is Container of

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a File System

… is Container of

filedirectorydirectorydirectory

… is Container of … is Container of

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked DatabaseFile System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database• Many types of objects: People, Places, Things

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database• Many types of objects: People, Places, Things• Many types of relationships: e.g. Creator

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database• Many types of objects: People, Places, Things• Many types of relationships: e.g. Creator• Two directions for relationships:

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database• Many types of objects: People, Places, Things• Many types of relationships: e.g. Creator• Two directions for relationships:

– subject (e.g. Creator, Influence)

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database• Many types of objects: People, Places, Things• Many types of relationships: e.g. Creator• Two directions for relationships:

– subject (e.g. Creator, Influence) – object (e.g. … is Creator of, … is an Influence of)

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database

Person

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database

… is Friend of

PersonPerson

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database

… is Friend of

Web PagePersonPerson

… is Creator of

File System Metaphor

Relationships in a Linked Database

… is Friend of

Discussion PostWeb PagePersonPerson

… is Creator of … is Topic of

File System Metaphor

File System Metaphor

• So the familiar File System metaphor should be helpful for browsing linked databases

File System Metaphor

• So the familiar File System metaphor should be helpful for browsing linked databases

• Let’s see how this approach is used in razorbase to improve exploration

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Let’s lookup the Australian kiwi bird

In a File System, this would look like …

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Each folder has an incoming connection that says something else is a Container of it

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Each folder has an incoming connection that says something else is a Container of it

• Each folder has an outgoing connection that says it is a Container of something else

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Each folder has an incoming connection that says something else is a Container of it

• Each folder has an outgoing connection that says it is a Container of something else

• The semantics of the relationship Container are so generic as to allow for virtually anything to be on the other end of the connection

This moves us in the direction of forward ….

… and along one type of path to Contents

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Clicking a subject in a File System allows you to walk along the only available path type (Contains) which takes you to the subject’s contents

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Clicking a subject in a File System allows you to walk along the only available path type (Contains) which takes you to the subject’s contents

• In a linked database, there are many types of paths leading out from the subject

Various kinds of paths fromthis subject

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Let’s explore Birds named Kiwi

This moves us inthe direction of forward

… and along this path type

Let’s keep moving forward from here …

Move forward …

… down this path

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• It appears there is a new results for birds of the species we’re exploring

Isn’t this new?

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• To be sure, lets navigate back to our filtered birds list and check

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• To be sure, lets navigate back to our filtered birds list and check

• Use the Back navigate button

Move backward …

… up this path

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Indeed, the Anatoma mantelli does not appear here

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Indeed, the Anatoma mantelli does not appear here

• This is because here, the criteria is that Category be umbel-sc:Birds

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Indeed, the Anatoma mantelli does not appear here

• This is because here, the criteria is that Category be umbel-sc:Birds

• This criteria was not specified in the other list of birds

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Indeed, the Anatoma mantelli does not appear here

• This is because here, the criteria is that Category be umbel-sc:Birds

• This criteria was not specified in the other list of birds

• Let’s view more information about these birds

Next page of results

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s navigate back to that list of birds containing Anatoma mantelli

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s navigate back to that list of birds containing Anatoma mantelli

• Then let’s take a look at what Category it’s under

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s navigate back to that list of birds containing Anatoma mantelli

• Then let’s take a look at what Category it’s under

• This will explain why it isn’t in our current list of umbel-sc:Birds

Let’s scroll page right

These paths are offered for convenience …

… based on the information we’ve viewed about the subject

Also, the subject is now filtered to only birds who have pictures in the database

… which indirectly filters everything else along the paths from this subject

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s add a Category information to the table

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s add a Category information to the table

• We can’t add Category information from the Information Explorer

Task 1: Find the Kiwi bird

• Now let’s add a Category information to the table

• We can’t add Category information from the Information Explorer

• Hint: Add a filter for Category, then unbind the value to view all Categories for each subject

Species should be generic enoughas to not filter out our currentresults

Now let’s unbind the valueto see all other Categories for each subject

So, although it shares the samespecies as the others birds here

… its not classified as umbel-sc:Birdin the linked database

Conclusions

• Linked databases share similar structure with file systems

Conclusions

• Linked databases share similar structure with file systems

• This allows us to build linked data browsers that are more familiar to new users

Now go grow the Linked Data Web!