RE: meta-specs (was RE: A few things I noticed about w3c's xml-sc hema)

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@ingr.com>]

I'm wondering if for some projects, it isn't also 
the best way to start.  In other words, should 
one create a UML-like design if what is being 
designed is NOT an OOP, but simply the data 
exchanged?   Sure, we eventually arrive at a system 
where a catalog or RDDL or whatever bag-o-typedLinks 
is chosen ties together components by named roles, 
descriptions.   I can do a data-centric design 
with XML Schemas or even DTDs and have.  I understand 
the problem of things such as co-occurrence contraints.

So I have RDF and XML Schema.

When do I need RDF?

Len 
http://www.mp3.com/LenBullard

Ekam sat.h, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti.
Daamyata. Datta. Dayadhvam.h


-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas B. Passin [mailto:tpassin@home.com]

[Bullard, Claude L (Len]

> In a relational system, it is as if one designed
> the report data, then designed the tables, then designed
> the queries that produce the reports.  Then they
> discover the business rules. Then they create the
> GUI.
>
A lot of legacy systems have been reconstructed just that way ( if you
include the data entry screens in the first step) - start from the reports
and screens, figure out the minimal data set you need to support them, and
go on from there.  Seems backwards, but sometimes that's all you've got.