A semantic mapper is tool or service that aids in the transformation of
data element
In metadata, the term data element is an atomic unit of data that has precise meaning or precise semantics. A data element has:
# An identification such as a data element name
# A clear data element definition
# One or more representation term ...
s from one
namespace
In computing, a namespace is a set of signs (''names'') that are used to identify and refer to objects of various kinds. A namespace ensures that all of a given set of objects have unique names so that they can be easily identified.
Namespaces ...
into another namespace. A semantic mapper is an essential component of a semantic broker and one tool that is enabled by 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 ...
technologies.
Essentially the problems arising in semantic mapping are the same as in
data mapping
In computing and data management, data mapping is the process of creating data element mappings between two distinct data models. Data mapping is used as a first step for a wide variety of data integration tasks, including:
* Data transforma ...
for
data integration purposes, with the difference that here the semantic relationships are made explicit through the use of
semantic nets or
ontologies
In information science, an ontology encompasses a representation, formal naming, and definitions of the categories, properties, and relations between the concepts, data, or entities that pertain to one, many, or all domains of discourse. More ...
which play the role of
data dictionaries in data mapping.
Structure
A semantic mapper must have access to three data sets:
# List of data elements in source
namespace
In computing, a namespace is a set of signs (''names'') that are used to identify and refer to objects of various kinds. A namespace ensures that all of a given set of objects have unique names so that they can be easily identified.
Namespaces ...
# List of data elements in destination namespace
# List of semantic equivalent statements between source and destination (e.g
owl:equivalentClassowl:equivalentPropertyo
owl:sameAsin
OWL).
A semantic mapper processes on a list of data elements in the source namespace. The semantic mapper will successively translate the data elements from the source namespace to the destination namespace. The mapping does not necessarily need to be a
one-to-one mapping. Some data elements may map to several data elements in the destination.
Some semantic mappers are static in that they will do a one-time data transforms. Others will generate an executable program to repeatedly perform this transform. The output of this program may be any transformation system such as
XSLT, a
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
program or a program in some other
procedural language.
See also
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General references
Ontologies & the Semantic Web for Semantic Interoperability Leo Obrst{{Semantic Web
Semantic Web
Data mapping