Uni-level description of computer information and transformation of computer information between representation schemes

摘要

A uni-level description of computer information built using basic structures or a metamodel allows model, schema, and instance information to be represented explicitly for a variety of distinct model-based representation schemes or models. Exemplary distinct representation schemes include Extensible Markup Language (XML), Resource Description Framework (RDF), developed by the World Wide Consortium, Topic Maps, and a relational database model. The uni-level description is stored in a computer readable medium and is comprised of basic structures that are instantiated to describe various models or representation schemes of interest. In one implementation, the uni-level description is expressed using triples, loosely based on RDF in one implementation. The basic structures or metamodel of the uni-level description includes or provides a basic or generic set of abstractions for information representations that are characterized as including representation schemes, schema level data, and instance level data. A transformation method for converting computer information from one representation scheme to another, from one schema to another, and, in general, for converting model, schema, or data from the computer information in a first representation scheme to model, schema, or data of a second representation scheme.