W3C has announced a new RDF application which generates static XHTML documents and dynamic views for indexes of translated W3C Technical Reports. "W3C thanks the volunteers who contributed thousands of hours translating W3C publications into more than thirty (30) languages. Showcasing W3C Semantic Web, XML, and internationalization technologies, data for volunteer translations of W3C technical reports and related documents are now maintained in RDF encoded in XML. Combining this metadata with other RDF, the translation index makes extensive use of Unicode. Links from translations to official versions are provided; reports may be viewed according to language or technology." The application generates XHTML and RDF-encoded XML files using Python scripts and the RDFLib module. The Python scripts also have a set of published CGI entry points which facilitate the construction of "query" URIs to obtain specialized views of document subsets; views based upon language and technology can be generated using these CGI entry points. A follow-on project will extend support to include in-progress translation activities.
W3C Translation Policy
W3C encourages the translation of its Technical Reports by volunteers, provided that guidelines in the Copyright FAQ are observed. Summary: (1) notification should be made to a public mailing list when a translation effort is commenced and when it is finished; (2) specified metadata must be clearly visible in the translation document; (3) translators must agree to the W3C copyright terms, which allow for redistribution of the translation text and the creation of derivative works. See details in section 5 of the Intellectual Rights FAQ document.
About RDFLib
RDFLib is "a Python library for working with RDF, a simple yet powerful language for representing information. The library contains an RDF/XML parser/serializer, a TripleStore [RDF database], an InformationStore, and various store backends (InMemory, SleepyCat BTree, ZODB BTree). RDFLib is being developed by Daniel Krech along with the help of a number of contributors."
Principal references:
- W3C Translations by Language. "Overview of all translations, ordered by languages. Each language can be addressed directly using the ISO language code as a fragment identifier."
- W3C Translations by Domains and Technologies. "Each document can be addressed directly using the document ID as used in the W3C TR pages as a fragment identifier (i.e., its 'short name', essentially the last part of its undated URI).
- Translation Project Description. Files and Scripts Used in Managing W3C Translations.
- RDF files used in translation project management:
- trans.rdf. Main source of translation data. This is the primary RDF file containing the translations. The trans.rdffile contains two types of information: [1] the translation data themselves, grouped by languages, preceded by [2] some information on the languages proper.
- tr.rdf. Central RDF file on W3C Technical Reports. For each translation in trans.rdf there is a reference to the original document, using the property trans:translationFrom. The resource referred to by this property is the dated URI of the document [e.g., http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/REC-xptr-framework-20030325/]; it is the same resource as used in tr.rdf.
- recs.rdf. Additional information on recommendations and other documents.
- transSchema.rdf. The RDF Schema file for trans.rdf.
- RDFLib. A Python library for working with RDF.
- Translations at W3C. Policy, Searching for Existing Translations, How to Volunteer as a Translator, etc.
- Mailing list archives for 'w3c-translators' list. To subscribe, send an email message to w3c-translators-request@w3.org with the word "subscribe" in the Subject: line.
- W3C Intellectual Rights FAQ document
- W3C Internationalization Activity. "Its task is to make the content of the W3C specifications useful not only for English-speaking or Latin-writing part of the world, but truly worldwide."
- Resource Description Framework (RDF)
- W3C Technical Reports and Publications
- Contacts: Ivan Herman (Head of Offices) and Martin Dürst (W3C Internationalization Activity Lead).
- "Markup and Multilingualism" - General topic document.
