OAT Interactive SPARQL (iSPARQL) Query Builder
What is it ?
The OAT interactive SPARQL Query Builder is a SVG-based visual SPARQL query generator and results browser.
Why is it important?
Like its counterpart in the Relational Database realm, SPARQL isn't something that time challenged users, systems architects, or developers are going to want to write by hand. And like SQL, uptake and bootstrap of SPARQL is directly linked to the ability of these end-users, architects, and developers, to visually construct queries (Graph Patterns) via a tool.
How do you use it?
Graphs patterns are comprised of Links and Nodes, in the RDF Data Model these links and nodes represent statements called "Triples". More importantly, these statements represent "Typed Links" between Objects (Data Containers) which is the fundamental distinction between the Document Web (a directed graph of Links of a single type: Document) and the Data Web (a directed graph of many Typed Links). Thus, when working with the iSPARQL Query Builder, your entire interaction is centered around:
- Adding Nodes to the canvas
- Connecting Nodes with Links
- Typing the Nodes and the Links based on Concepts (Nodes) and Properties (Attributes and Relationships) exposed in the Schemas palette
- Using connectors with broken lines to indicate Optional Links
- Using the lasso effect to perform group selection for drag and drop on the query canvas, e.g., for the depiction of UNION queries
Usage Guides
