                                 RDF::Server 0.04

                          toolkit for building RDF servers

INSTALLATION
    Installation follows standard Perl CPAN module installation steps:

     cpan> install RDF::Server

    or, if not using the CPAN tool, then from within the unpacked
    distribution:

     % perl Makefile.PL
     % make
     % make test
     % make install

DESCRIPTION
    RDF::Server provides a flexible framework with which you can design your
    own RDF service. By dividing itself into several areas of
    responsibility, the framework allows you to mix and match any
    capabilities you need to create the service that fits your RDF data and
    how you need to access it.

    The `rdf-server' script is installed as an easy-to-use way of building
    and running an RDF::Server service. Some sample configuration files are
    in the `examples' directory of the RDF::Server distribution.

    The framework identifies four areas of responsibility:

  Protocol

    The protocol modules manage the outward facing part of the framework and
    translating the requested operation into an HTTP::Request object that is
    understood by any of the interface modules. Conversely, it translates
    the resulting HTTP::Response object into the form required by the
    environment in which the server is operating.

    For example, the Embedded protocol provides a Perl API that can be used
    by other modules without having to frame operations in terms of HTTP
    requests and responses.

    The methods expected of protocol modules are defined in
    RDF::Server::Protocol. The outward-facing API is dependent on the
    environment the server is expected to operate within.

    Available protocols in the standard distribution:
    RDF::Server::Protocol::Embedded, RDF::Server::Protocol::HTTP.

  Interface

    The interface modules define how the HTTP requests are translated into
    operations on various handlers that manage different aspects of the RDF
    triple store.

  Semantic

    The semantic modules define the meaning attached to and information
    contained in the various documents and the heirarchy of resources
    available through the interface modules. Most of the content handlers
    are attached to a particular semantic.

    The available semantics are: RDF::Server::Semantic::Atom,
    RDF::Server::Semantic::RDF.

  Formatters

    The same information can be rendered in several different formats. The
    format modules manage this rendering.

    The available formatters are: RDF::Server::Formatter::Atom,
    RDF::Server::Formatter::JSON, RDF::Server::Formatter::RDF.

NAMESPACE DESIGN
    The RDF::Server namespace is divided into these broad areas:

    Protocol
        Modules in RDF::Server::Protocol provide the interface with the
        world. Examples include HTTP, Apache/mod_perl, and FastCGI.

    Interface
        RDF::Server::Interface modules determine the type of URI and HTTP
        method management that is used. RDF::Server comes with a REST
        interface.

    Semantic
        RDF::Server::Semantic modules manage the configuration and
        interpretation of URIs once the Interface module has passed the
        request on. RDF::Server comes with an Atom semantic of URI
        heirarchies and configuration.

    Formatter
        RDF::Server::Formatter modules translate the internal data
        structures to particular document types. The formatter for a request
        is selected by the Interface module.

    Model
        RDF::Server::Model modules interface between the Semantic and
        Formatter modules and the backend triple store.

    Resource
        RDF::Server::Resource modules represent particular resources and
        associated data within a triple store.

BUGS
    There are bugs. The test suite only covers a little over 90% of the
    code. Bugs may be reported on rt.cpan.org or by e-mailing bug-RDF-Server
    at rt.cpan.org.

AUTHOR
    James Smith, `<jsmith@cpan.org>'

LICENSE
    Copyright (c) 2008 Texas A&M University.

    This library is free software. You can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself.

