Notation3, or N3 as it is more commonly known, is a shorthand non-
XML
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing data. It defines a set of rules for encoding electronic document, documents in a format that is both human-readable and Machine-r ...
serialization of
Resource Description Framework
The Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a method to describe and exchange graph data. It was originally designed as a data model for metadata by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It provides a variety of syntax notations and formats, of whi ...
models, designed with human-readability in mind: N3 is much more compact and readable than XML RDF notation. The format is being developed by
Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee (born 8 June 1955), also known as TimBL, is an English computer scientist best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, the HTML markup language, the URL system, and HTTP. He is a professorial research fellow a ...
and others from the
Semantic Web
The Semantic Web, sometimes known as Web 3.0, is an extension of the World Wide Web through standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The goal of the Semantic Web is to make Internet data machine-readable.
To enable the encoding o ...
community. A formalization of the logic underlying N3 was published by Berners-Lee and others in 2008.
N3 has several features that go beyond a serialization for RDF models, such as support for RDF-based rules.
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
is a simplified, RDF-only subset of N3.
Examples
The following is an RDF model in standard XML notation:
Tony Benn
Wikipedia
may be written in Notation3 like this:
@prefix dc: .
dc:title "Tony Benn";
dc:publisher "Wikipedia".
This N3 code above would also be in valid
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
syntax.
Comparison of Notation3, Turtle, and N-Triples
See also
*
N-Triples
*
Turtle (syntax)
External links
Notation 3 W3C Submission
on ''W3C
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 by Tim Berners-Lee, the consortium is made up of member organizations that maintain full-time staff working together in ...
Design Issues'' by Tim Berners-Lee
Notation 3 Primer
''Getting into RDF & Semantic Web using N3''
A Rough Guide to Notation3An editing mode of N3 for vimAn editing mode of N3 for textmateEulerGUI
an IDE centered on N3 editor with translation from RDF, with validation, prefix management, uploading of resources, graph view, table view, etc.
References
{{Semantic Web
Resource Description Framework
Computer file formats