Database Reference
In-Depth Information
In general terms, the pattern itself can be expressed as
Every <X> is a kind of Place.
Every <X> has part a Feature.
Every <X> is intended for a
Purpose.
Class: X
SubClassOf: Place that hasPart
some Feature and isIntendedFor
some Purpose
Merea Maps decides to add these general properties to the description of a
Place. It decides that Purpose can represent a new hierarchy (and potentially a new
micro-ontology). So, we can now define Education, Leisure, and Agricultural Pro-
duction as Purposes:
Education is a kind of Purpose.
Leisure is a kind of Purpose.
Agricultural Production is a kind
of Purpose.
Class:Education
SubClassOf: Purpose
Class:Leisure
SubClassOf: Purpose
Class:AgriculturalProduction
SubClassOf: Purpose
A Place can be described as:
Every Place is a kind of Feature.
Every Place has part a Feature.
Every Place is intended for a
Purpose.
Class:Place
SubClassOf: Feature that hasPart
some Feature and isIntendedFor
some Purpose
And, a School can now be described as:
Every School is a kind of Place.
Every School has part a Building.
Every School is intended for
Education.
Class:School
SubClassOf: Place that hasPart
some Building and isIntendedFor
some Education
However, Merea Maps is not totally happy with this because what it does not do is
relate the purpose of the place to the essential components of the place. Specifically,
the description of a school says a school must have at least one building but does not
relate the purpose of the building to education. So, what is required is for the building
itself to specify its purpose. We would modify the description of the school as follows:
Every School is a kind of Place.
Every School has part a Building
that is intended for Education.
Every School is intended for
Education.
Class:School
SubClassOf: Place that hasPart
some (Building that
isIntendedFor some Education)
8
We still have to explicitly say that the School has the intended use of Education
because although we have now also said this about a building within the School, this
statement would not imply the School as a whole had that as its purpose.
