Semantic Web Rule Language: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Language to express rules and logic with semantic web}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

The '''Semantic Web Rule Language''' ('''SWRL''') is a proposed language for the [[Semantic Web]] that can be used to express rules as well as logic, combining [[Web Ontology Language|OWL DL]] or OWL Lite with a subset of the [[RuleML|Rule Markup Language]] (itself a subset of [[Datalog]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/Submission/SWRL/|title=SWRL: A Semantic Web Rule Language Combining OWL and RuleML|website=w3W3C |date=21 May 2004 |first1= Ian |last1=Horrocks|first2=Peter F.org |last2=Patel-Schneider|first3=Harold |last3=Boley|first4=Said |last4=Tabet|first5=Benjamin |last5=Grosof|first6=Mike |last6=Dean|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-21}}</ref>

The specification was submitted in May 2004 to the [[W3C]] by the [[National Research Council of Canada]], Network Inference (since acquired by [[webMethods]]), and [[Stanford University]] in association with the Joint US/EU ad hoc Agent Markup Language Committee. The specification was based on an earlier proposal for an OWL rules language.<ref name="Horrocks2004">{{Cite conference

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# translate OWL-DL into rules and give the rules to a forward chaining engine (Bossam) (this approach cannot cover the full expressivity of OWL-DL due to many incompatibilities between Description Logic and Horn Rule formalisms)

# expand an existing OWL-DL reasoner based on the tableaux algorithm (Pellet).

*# [[Protege (software)|Protégé]] 4.2 includes a Rules view in its Ontology Views that supports SWRL rules.

{{Expand section|date=January 2007}}

*# For older versions of Protégé, '''SWRLTab''' is an extension that supports editing and execution of SWRL rules. [https://archive.today/20121215054848/http://protege.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?SWRLTab]

# '''[[R2ML]]''' (REWERSE Rule Markup Language) supports SWRL. [http://oxygen.informatik.tu-cottbus.de/rewerse-i1/?q=node/6]

* [[Protege (software)|Protégé]] 4.2 includes a Rules view in its Ontology Views that supports SWRL rules.

# '''Bossam''', a [[forward chaining]] rule engine supports SWRL. [http://bossam.wordpress.com/]

* For older versions of Protégé, '''SWRLTab''' is an extension that supports editing and execution of SWRL rules. [https://archive.today/20121215054848/http://protege.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?SWRLTab]

*# '''[[R2ML]]Hoolet''', (REWERSEan Ruleimplementation Markupof Language)an OWL-DL reasoner that uses a first order prover supports SWRL. [http://oxygenowl.informatikman.tu-cottbusac.de/rewerse-i1uk/?q=nodehoolet/6]

*# '''BossamPellet''', aan [[forwardopen-source chaining]]Java ruleOWL engineDL supportsreasoner has SWRL-support. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070925082014/http://bossampellet.wordpressowldl.com/]

*# '''HooletKAON2''', is an implementationinfrastructure offor anmanaging OWL-DL, reasonerSWRL, thatand usesF-Logic a first order prover supports SWRLontologies. [http://owlkaon2.mansemanticweb.ac.uk/hooletorg/]

*# '''PelletRacerPro''', ansupports open-sourcethe Javaprocessing OWLof DLrules reasonerin hasa SWRL-support.based syntax by translating them into nRQL rules [https://web.archive.org/web/2007092508201420060718175210/http://pelletwww.owldlracer-systems.com/products/racerpro/index.phtml]

*# '''KAON2Stardog''' is an infrastructureRDF fordatabase managingor OWL-DL,[[triplestore]] SWRL,that andrewrites F-Logicqueries ontologiesto answer questions using SWRL inferences. [http://kaon2.semanticwebstardog.orgcom/]

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* '''RacerPro''', supports the processing of rules in a SWRL-based syntax by translating them into nRQL rules [https://web.archive.org/web/20060718175210/http://www.racer-systems.com/products/racerpro/index.phtml]

* '''Stardog''' is an RDF database or [[triplestore]] that rewrites queries to answer questions using SWRL inferences. [http://stardog.com/]

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|- style="background: #ececec"

! style="width: 16em" |

! '''Bossam'''

! '''Hoolet'''

! '''Pellet'''

|-

! SWRL/OWLX Parser

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| access-date = 2014-05-22 }}</ref>

Compared with Description Logic Programs, SWRL takes a diametrically opposed integration approach. DLP is the intersection of [[Horn logic]] and OWL, whereas SWRL is (roughly) the union of them.<ref name="Parsia2005"/> In DLP, the resultant language is a very peculiar looking description logic and rather inexpressive language overall.<ref name="Parsia2005"/>

== Future Directions and Applications of SWRL ==

As the Semantic Web continues to evolve, the role of SWRL in enabling automated reasoning and decision-making processes will likely expand. While current implementations, such as those found in Protégé and Pellet, provide significant capabilities, ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation may lead to even more sophisticated reasoning engines that better handle the computational complexities introduced by SWRL. Furthermore, as data integration across diverse domains becomes increasingly critical, SWRL could play a pivotal role in enhancing interoperability between systems that utilize OWL ontologies. The combination of rules with ontologies, as facilitated by SWRL, remains a powerful mechanism for drawing inferences and uncovering relationships in large, distributed datasets, offering broad applicability in fields such as healthcare, finance, and semantic data analytics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OWL - Semantic Web Standards |url=https://www.w3.org/OWL/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=www.w3.org}}</ref>

== See also ==