Editing Resource Description Framework (section)

== Overview ==
The RDF data model<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.w3.org/TR/PR-rdf-syntax/Overview.html|title=Resource Description Framework (RDF) Model and Syntax Specification|website=W3C |date=5 January 1999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714061139/https://www.w3.org/TR/PR-rdf-syntax/Overview.html |archive-date= Jul 14, 2023 }}</ref> is similar to classical conceptual modeling approaches (such as [[entity–relationship model|entity–relationship]] or [[class diagram]]s). It is based on the idea of making [[statement (programming)|statement]]s about [[resource (computer science)|resource]]s (in particular web resources) in expressions of the form <var>subject</var>–<var>predicate</var>–<var>object</var>, known as ''[[Semantic triple|triples]]''. The <var>subject</var> denotes the resource; the <var>predicate</var> denotes traits or aspects of the resource, and expresses a relationship between the <var>subject</var> and the <var>object</var>.

For example, one way to represent the notion "The sky has the color blue" in RDF is as the triple: a [[Subject (grammar)|subject]] denoting "the sky", a [[Predicate (grammar)|predicate]] denoting "has the color", and an [[Object (grammar)|object]] denoting "blue". Therefore, RDF uses <var>subject</var> instead of <var>object</var> (or <var>entity</var>) in contrast to the typical approach of an [[entity–attribute–value model]] in [[object-oriented design]]: entity (sky), attribute (color), and value (blue).

RDF is an abstract model with several [[Serialization|serialization formats]] (being essentially specialized [[file format]]s). In addition the particular encoding for resources or triples can vary from format to format.

This mechanism for describing resources is a major [[software componentry|component]] in the W3C's [[Semantic Web]] activity: an evolutionary stage of the [[World Wide Web]] in which automated software can store, exchange, and use [[Machine-readable data|machine-readable information]] distributed throughout the Web, in turn enabling users to deal with the information with greater efficiency and [[certainty]]. RDF's simple data model and ability to model disparate, abstract concepts has also led to its increasing use in [[knowledge management]] applications unrelated to Semantic Web activity.

A collection of RDF statements intrinsically represents a [[Graph labeling|labeled]], [[Directed graph|directed]] [[multigraph]]. This makes an RDF [[data model]] better suited to certain kinds of [[knowledge representation]] than other [[relational model|relational]] or [[Ontology (computer science)|ontological]] models.

As [[RDFS]], [[Web Ontology Language|OWL]] and [[SHACL]] demonstrate, one can build additional [[ontology language]]s upon RDF.