LodLive project provides a demonstration of the use of Linked Data standards (RDF, SPARQL) to browse RDF resources. The application aims to spread linked data principles using a simple and friendly interface with reusable techniques.
The basic principle underlying LodLive is to prove that resources published according to the W3C SPARQL standard are easy to reach and understand, with hopes that the LodLive approach can stimulate Public Administrations and large-scale data owners to add their resources to the LOD and share them. You can start browsing by querying the endpoint for a specific resource, or start from one of the provided URI examples.
LodLive is composed of a jQuery plug-in (lodlive-core.js), a JSON configuration map (lodlive-profile.js), an HTML page, a few images (sprites), and some other jQuery public plug-ins. It is as simple as that.
When navigating the data graph, how will I know which endpoint I'm at?
By going over the resource with your mouse, a box will appear in the lower left-hand corner in which certain features will be indicated, including the resource's endpoint.
The system seems to freeze when I open certain resources, and with IE it does not seem to work.
LodLife makes full use of the computer's power that it is accessing, and this has allowed us to develop an application that does not require any server component. The application can therefore be used immediately once it is downloaded.
We recommend using a recently up-dated browser, particularly Opera,
Safari or Google Chrome; FireFox will work but with a slower navigation function; Internet Explorer does not currently work with the application because it is not capable of managing certain LodLive features and functions.
Regarding SPARQL
www.w3.org/TR/rdf-sparql-query
Regarding standards and the semantic web
www.w3.org/RDF
www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb
www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html
A sparql tutorial for the w3c working group can be found at
www.cambridgesemantics.com/it/semantic-university/sparql-by-example
LodLive is available on GitHub https://github.com/dvcama/LodLive
Direct project participants
Diego Valerio Camarda (diego@lodlive.it), Silvia Mazzini (silvia@lodlive.it) e Alessandro Antonuccio (ale@lodlive.it)
Diego is responsible for the app development, Silvia established the criteria basis, and Alessandro developed the interface design. The group has worked together day after day, and the tasks at hand have often blended through their collaboration.
For further information and contacts: info@lodlive.it.
It is possible to signal an endpoint at info@lodlive.it so that it can be inserted in the application and made available at lodlive.it. Generally the best results are obtained with datasets having owl:sameAs properties towards other resources available on SPARQL endpoints.
It is important to provide as much information as possible on the resources existing in the endpoint and on the specificities of the dataset. LodLive can be specifically configured to best represent the contents that it navigates.
LodLive is an experimental project that was set-up to spread and promote the linked-open-data philosophy and to create a tool that can be used for connecting RDF browser capabilities with the effectiveness of data graph representation.
LodLive is the first navigator to use RDF resources based solely on SPARQL endpoints.
LodLive aims to demonstrate how resources published by W3C standards for the semantic web can be made easily accessible and legible with a few viable tools.
LodLive is capable of connecting the resources existing in its configured endpoints, allowing the user to pass from one endpoint to another by making use of LOD interconnection capacities.
Here you can follow the direct and inverse connections provided by the resource by moving freely from one "circle" to the others.
Every new pop-open resource will guide the user to those relating to it, automatically connecting the new "circle" to the ones they have already opened.
Every time an owl:sameAs property is reached throughout the course of navigation, LodLive will connect to the related endpoint, enabling the user to move to the new available resources within the same navigation environment.