Wikibase/Ontology-Federation
Overview
[edit]Ontology federation enables individual systems (Wikibase instances) to exchange data across the ecosystem through various methods. Ontology federation is implemented in two main forms: federated items and entity matching.
Federated Items
[edit]With federated items, the local instance refers to data on a remote instance. We are currently in our Alpha version for Federated Items. This allows you to add Wikidata items as values (objects) to your Wikibase instance.
 Warning: | This feature is not stable yet. We are actively collecting feedback and plan to add more functionality throughout the year. |
There are also some limitations we would like to make you aware of for the alpha version:
- The representation of federated items in the API has not been worked on, yet. It will be part of one of upcoming work packages and we would like to get feedback on API requirements.
- Reconciling the QueryService with the newly added Wikidata items is under active investigation and development.
To keep up with progress on Federated Items, you can look out for announcements on telegram channel and the Wikibase User Group mailing list.
Why and How Should I Use Ontology Federation?
[edit]By sharing data, systems can avoid duplicating information stored on remote instances, which also helps reduce maintenance and management overhead. Thanks to the strong foundation created by the Linked Open Data community, reusing Wikidata ontology opens the door to a more connected and thriving Linked Open Data ecosystem.
How to use Federated Items
[edit]We have set up a test Wikibase instance to let you try out the feature for yourself and share feedback. It already contains items and properties in it.
Following are the steps to add Wikidata items in the instance:
- Open a test item.
- Click on Add Statement at the bottom of the page.
- Add an existing property.
- Start typing the item name in the next text box. You will get a drop down of items within the Wikibase and then Wikidata items with the same name. Wikidata items will have a small box next to the item name with www.wikidata.org written in it.
- Choose a Wikidata item.
- Click save.
You've now added a Wikidata item to the Wikibase instance!
Feedback and Development
[edit]The Federated Items feature is under active development, and community feedback is highly encouraged. You can fill out our survey to share your feedback.
However feel free to share feedback on the discussion page of this MediaWiki or include more details of your experience in the survey such as:
- How useful is this Federation feature for your workflow?
- How clear is the process to use it?
- Does the item display as expected?
- How do you feel about editing items only on Wikidata?
- What features, if any, are missing for you that might be useful in your workflow?
- Did you encounter any errors? If yes, what were they?
Every piece of feedback you share directly impacts how we evolve. Thank you for helping us shape what we bring to Wikibase Suite.
Further updates on Ontology Federation will be added to this page.