Bridging Functional Programming and Semantic Web

[stephengoldbaum]

Functional Semantic Bridge

Introduction

A prime tenet of Morphir is that the business logic of a system should be expressed in a way that is both human-readable and machine-executable. This is achieved by using a functional programming language to describe the business logic in a way that is both declarative and composable using the language of the business domain. In practice, this means that Morphir authors create a type model that reflects the business concepts in combination with precise data constraints.

For example, the LCR defines:

module Regulation.US.FR2052A.Fields.CollateralClass exposing (..)

type alias CollateralClass =
    String

type AssetCategory
    = Agency
    | Sovereigns
    | CentralBank
    | GovernmentSponsoredEntity
    | Equity
    | InvestmentGrade
    | NonInvestmentGrade
    | Loan
    | Debt
    | Commodities
    | Property
    | LetterOfCredit
    | Other

This code defines an ontology specific to the LCR domain, complete with relevant constraints and relationships. Mapping this ontology to a standard representation could enhance interoperability, data sharing, and integration. For instance, linking the LCR ontology to the FIBO ontology, a standard for financial services, would be beneficial.

Generating a standard ontology from Morphir code would allow it to participate in the broader semantic web. Using Functional Programming to represent logic and data constraints would overcome challenges in expressing those with semantic technologies like RDF and related technologies. A seamless bridge between Functional Programming and the Semantic Web would enhance both paradigms.