FWIW we exclusively use the Jena Model API (on RDF level) for OWL 2 support in TopBraid Composer and other products and solutions. Operating on triple level has many advantages, and while some convenience layer on top might be useful, it was easy for us to establish a few helper functions to create the most commonly needed OWL constructs such as restrictions. And for processing we use SPARQL anyway, where it's hard to beat the Jena API.
Holger On Nov 24, 2011, at 9:19 PM, Paolo Castagna wrote: > Hi Nick > > Nick Khamis wrote: >> Hello Everyone, >> >> We are looking for a low level OWL API, that will allow us to create OWL >> models >> within Java code. API's such as Protege OWL API, or The OWLAPI are >> great solutions >> for creating OWL models for leaernes however, add much too much overheard. >> I understand that Jena is designed to create RDFs, and was wondering if >> wrappers >> have been included to create OWL or even OWL2 expressions. If not, do you >> have >> an recommendations on how to include such implelementation in Jena, or >> know about >> another low level API capable of producing OWL2 expressions. > > Can all "OWL2 expressions" be represented/serialized as RDF? > > If yes, you already have 'low level' API since you can use Jena to create > your own RDF (in this case OWL2 expressions) as you wish. > > Given: > > "OWL 2 ontologies can be used along with information written in RDF, and > OWL 2 ontologies themselves are primarily exchanged as RDF documents. > [...] This document defines the mapping of OWL 2 ontologies into RDF > graphs, and vice versa." > -- http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-mapping-to-rdf/ > > It seems to me that "yes" is the correct answer to the above question. > > Therefore, you can currently use Jena RDF APIs (Model|Graph) to create > any OWL 2 expression you might need. > > Paolo > >> >> Thanks in Advance, >> >> Nick. >
