From jmvanel@FREE.FR Thu Mar  2 21:51:35 2000
From: Jean-Marc Vanel <jmvanel@FREE.FR>
To: tdwg-content@lists.tdwg.org
Subject: Re: SDD Specifications Document
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2000 21:51:35 +0000
Message-ID: <172053708378.444.13435938175150863177.generated@lists.tdwg.org>
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Kevin Thiele a =C3=A9crit :

> Jean-Marc's work does indeed need appraisal by the group in relation to our
> goals. My understanding from a brief perusal of his site is that he's trying
> to establish a franework for creating a set (one day he hopes for a global
> set) of descriptions of plants on the web,

Yes, by merging Flora descriptions with character-based data =C3=A0 la Delta.

> the data structured in such a way
> as to be queryable as well as readable.

Yes, it will make biological knowledge really accessible. For the query aspec=
t,
I try to structure data in a way suitable to export to several kind of progra=
ms:

- Artificial Intelligence
- Delta and LucID
- databases, relational and OO

> Two likely differences between the present attempt and his may be
>
> 1. that we need to create something more flexible so that any botanist can
> capture any aspect of systematic data for any taxon - i.e. a Stipa can be
> described just as fully as a Taraxacum and a Nepenthes, with data ranging
> from morphology to anatomy, phytochemisty and gene sequences (the latter is
> the only easy one). Jean-Marc's thing seems to me to be of the fairly
> inflexible variety

This assertion is "present by misinterpretation". The set of properties and
organs is of course not limited, although for convenience a standard set will=
 be
provided.

> 2. Jean-Marc's model is directed towards capturing descriptions. We need to
> also allow for identification data for the range of key programs available
> and in the future. Thus, things like character sets, dependencies, allowing
> for misinterpretations etc may perhaps have little meaning in Jean-Marc's
> domain, but are critical in ours.

You must not doubt about my commitment to integrate those things in a general
model. I'm currently searching funding/sponsorship because now I have to work=
 on
this after normal work hours.
Anyway next monday I'll present a more detailed model and example, showing how
data and meta-data published on different sites can be used together.

Cheers
JMV

--
<person>
  <first_name>Jean-Marc</first_name>
  <name>Vanel</name>
  <project>Worlwide Botanical Knowledge Base -
      making botany available on Internet
    <a href=3D"http://wwbota.free.fr/" >site</a>
  </project>
  <homePage>http://jmvanel.free.fr/</homePage>
  <a href=3D"mailto:jmvanel(a)free.fr">mail (eventually put "wwbota" in subje=
ct to
route your mail in relevant folder)</a>
</person>


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