Summary of TMCL meeting in Amsterdam

Summary of TMCL meeting in Amsterdam

Graham Moore did presentation about TMCL Lite.
His presentation (partially based on TMSchema and OSL) described schema 
based language with identity constraints.

Discussed issues:

- TMCL Lite vs. Full

- Validation vs. Introspection

- "Yes", "No" validation and additional level - "Warning"

- "Strict" and  "Loose" validation

- Types of regular expressions which TMCL should support

- Topic type-based constraints vs. general constraints

- Translating type schema expressions to patterns (rules)

- Introspection vs. language expressiveness

- Composition of schemas: "and", "or" composition

- Validation against different constraint sets

- Usage of scope in constraint language

- Relationship with OWL

- Identity (merging) rules in TMCL

- Attaching schemas to topic maps

- Disjoint types (explicitly or implicitly defined)

- Inference and computed values/associations

- Default values for topic map constructs

- Closed collections vs. open collections

- Syntax (inside/outside XTM)


One of the important issues discussed was relationship with TMQL. TMCL 
will adopt TMQL as a means to express
constraints. TMQL  also can be used  for expressing domain specific 
merging rules. High level TMCL and TMQL constructs can be potentially 
expressed using constructs from core level.



What happens next?

- Editors will prepare 1st draft. It will include model and syntax for 
Lite and Full versions.
   1st draft will be published by July 5th, 2004.

- Editors will try to have face to face meeting in Montreal and discuss 
1st draft.

- Working draft will be submitted for National Body comment  by  
October 1st 2004




Dmitry