Hypermedia RDF for driving applications

Abstract

In this thesis we will examine how we can make use of Semantic Web technologies, such as RDF, to create an application based on the Representational State Transfer architectural style, with a client that is both generic and autonomous. Further, we will look at how hypermedia enables self-descriptiveness, both for humans and machines. The study is based on the development of the client. We have focused the work around the hypermedia messages, enabling the client to consume APIs, understand actions and relate those actions to its goals. To explore the self-descriptiveness, or the readability, we held a workshop with other developers. Results shows us that it is feasible to develop a client that can be both generic and autonomous, through the use of true REST. With a relative new RDF serialization we could express semantic hypermedia which makes it possible to use a generic format, with the power of being specific. This again let the participants of the workshop relatively easy understand an API they had never seen before. We hope that this thesis strengthens the understanding of REST, and that it encourage others to investigate the capabilities of clients interacting with hypermedia.

In this thesis we will examine how we can make use of Semantic Web technologies, such as RDF, to create an application based on the Representational State Transfer architectural style, with a client that is both generic and autonomous. Further, we will look at how hypermedia enables self-descriptiveness, both for humans and machines. The study is based on the development of the client. We have focused the work around the hypermedia messages, enabling the client to consume APIs, understand actions and relate those actions to its goals. To explore the self-descriptiveness, or the readability, we held a workshop with other developers. Results shows us that it is feasible to develop a client that can be both generic and autonomous, through the use of true REST. With a relative new RDF serialization we could express semantic hypermedia which makes it possible to use a generic format, with the power of being specific. This again let the participants of the workshop relatively easy understand an API they had never seen before. We hope that this thesis strengthens the understanding of REST, and that it encourage others to investigate the capabilities of clients interacting with hypermedia.