[sc34wg3] a new name for the Reference Model

[Michel Biezunski]

Lars,


> If you look closely at this you'll see that there are two different
> things here:
> 
>   - the principles of building models from item types with properties,
>     and
> 
>   - a particular model built using those principles.
>  
> To put it another way, we have a metamodel, a model for building
> models, and we have a model built using that metamodel. The metamodel
> is the information set and the model is the SAM or Topic Map
> Information Set. (To put it a third way, a metamodel is a model whose
> instances are other models.)
> 
> So what the prefix "meta" tells you is that a metamodel is not the
> same as a data model, it's a way to build data models. Or, if you
> like, a set of principles for doing so. The reason I don't call it a
> set of principles is that "set of principles" is very vague and
> generic, whereas to call it a "metamodel" implies much greater
> internal cohesion and completeness than does "principles". 
> 
> The RM is clearly a model, and it sits at the borderline between a
> full-fledged metamodel and a model. The bare graph abstraction
> underneath the RM is a metamodel, but the RM adds to this some few
> structural rules. I think even so we are still justified in calling it
> a metamodel, especially as it is our intent that it be used solely for
> creating model instances.
> 
> Does that help?

Yes, it helps. I am in favor of clearly stating what has
to do with the meta-modeling side, what is part of one model,
apply that to the RM as proposed, apply that to SAM as proposed,
and try to think of what is the best articulation between the
two. I also think that the (future) TMCL language has something
to do with a metamodel, in the sense that it would enable to
describe some of the rules that would define what is yet another
level of modeling, i.e. what is validatable within a given
community of users.

Michel
===================================
Michel Biezunski
Coolheads Consulting
402 85th Street #5C
Brooklyn, New York 11209
Email:mb@coolheads.com
Web  :http://www.coolheads.com
Voice: (718) 921-0901
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