Constructor for type

[Marie Valadez]

Hello!

I am looking at making a constructor that has several parameters for the user to input. One of which is a drop down list to select the type of a class. I am trying to get it to only show a specified root class and its subclasses, similar to what normally appears by default  as a class tree. However, if I put the sh:class as the root class then it populates instances. If I use rdfs:Class I get classes to select but not narrowed down to the root I want. I tried adding a connection using dash:rootClass ex:Concept but that did not work either. Is there a specific data property to mimic the default type selector that shows up when constructing a new concept?

Example of what I have been trying but not achieving the desired results:

exsh:ConceptConstructor-type
  a sh:Parameter ;
  a sh:PropertyShape ;
  sh:path rdf:type ;
  sh:class rdfs:Class ;
  sh:description "The type of the new concept" ;
  sh:name "type" ;
  sh:nodeKind sh:IRI .

exsh:ConceptConstructor-type
  a sh:Parameter ;
  a sh:PropertyShape ;
  sh:path rdf:type ;
  sh:class rdfs:Class ;

  dash:rootClass ex:Concept ; #even tried with dash:editor dash:SubClassEditor but that throws an error
  sh:description "The type of the new concept" ;
  sh:name "type" ;
  sh:nodeKind sh:IRI .

exsh:ConceptConstructor-type
  a sh:Parameter ;
  a sh:PropertyShape ;
  sh:path rdf:type ;
  sh:class ex:Concept ;

  sh:description "The type of the new concept" ;
  sh:name "type" ;
  sh:nodeKind sh:IRI .

[Marie Valadez]

Ignore the "a sh:PropertyShape" triples. I didn't mean to put that in the examples. I have it just as an sh:Parameter.

[Holger Knublauch]

Hi Marie,

this is a good use case, and I agree selecting the type should work better. For now I don't see work-around and you'll need to wait for 8.0 to have more control over that. For example, I guess the sh:node trick from the previous emails could be used then.

But since your scenario makes a lot of sense, I have just added another flag dash:allowTypeSelection for dash:Constructors for 8.0. When set to true and the base type has subclasses this will make the dialog show a class selection tree rooted in the base type, allowing users to pick a specific subclass. This selection will then become the value of the JS variable 'type' in the script.

Regards

Holger

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[Marie Valadez]

Thanks Holger! Appreciate the updates your team has added to the EDG interface.

Another question about Constructors. You mention the base type. How does the AI know what the base type is? When selecting to create a new instance, is there a function or variable passed in where it knows what type to use? Can this be used when creating new Constructors?

For instance, let's say there is Class called Mammal which has 2 subclasses (Dog, Cat). If I select "new instance" when I have "Cat" selected in the interface, is there a way to make a Constructor on the Mammal Class that will know the type to use based on the "new instance" selected? So in this case, it would know the "Cat" is the type for the new instance. If I selected "new instance" when "Dog" is selected in the UI, then it would infer "Dog". 

[Holger Knublauch]

Hi Marie,

See the comment on dash:Constructor

The variable focusNode will hold the named node of the selected type, for example when a constructor is associated with a superclass but the user has pressed New for a subclass.

HTH

Holger

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