structOntology

structOntology is a module for defining and managing the ontologies used by the conStruct RDF structured content system.

The structOntology module has these main functions:

• To enable simple, external ontologies as specified in a spreadsheet to be imported into the system
• To provide a user interface and framework within Drupal for updating and expanding the existing ontologies used by the system
• To allow mappings to external ontologies to be specified, and
• To enable simple export of the ontology structures from conStruct.

Ontologies are the basis for "data driving the application" and therefore have a central importance in conStruct.

For ontologies within conStruct, structOntology will allow these types of updates and expansions:

• Human-readable labels
• Alternative labels
• Readable descriptions
• Relationships between things and concepts.

structOntology is an important complement to conStruct because ontologies play these roles within the system:

• Defining conceptual relationships
• Integrating instance data
• Orienting to other knowledge and domains
• Mapping to other schema
• Exposing linked data
• Feeding context- and instance-sensitive data displays (see the separate structDisplay module), and
• Driving user interfaces via possible:
  • Attribute labels and tooltips
  • Navigation and browsing structures and trees
  • Menu structures
  • Auto-completion of entered data
  • Contextual dropdown list choices
  • Spell checkers
  • Online help systems
  • etc.