JSON-LD provides a standard representation for expressing linked data using JSON objects. It allows objects to represent entities with keys as properties, and arrays to express property values. Contexts define terms and associate properties and values with IRIs. JSON-LD brings the benefits of linked data to web applications by mapping JSON structures to RDF triples.

1. JSON-LD
Linked Data for Web Apps
Gregg Kellogg
gregg@greggkellogg.net
@gkellogg
Tuesday, July 10, 12

2. Introducing JSON-LD
@graph
@context
@id
JSON-based syntax to express linked data
@language
@value
@list
@type @set
Tuesday, July 10, 12
JSON-LD brings a standard representation for expressing entity-value relationships using a
few standard keywords and a consistent organizational structure for JSON Objects.
•Objects represent entities, with keys acting as properties.
•Properties always expand to full IRIs.
•Arrays express a set of values associated with a property, unordered by default.
•Order expressed in @context or as an expanded value representation.
•Values are Object, string or native, with standard XSD representations for native types.
•Expanded form allows for more datatype and language variations.

3. Self-describing Messages
• Give objects types {
"@context": {
(@type) "schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
"knows": {"@id": "schema:knows", "@type": "@id"},
"name": "schema:name",
"image": {"@id": "schema:image", "@type": "@id"},
"url": {"@id": "schema:url", "@type": "@id"}
}
}
{
"@context": "http://example.com/context.jsonld",
"@type": "Person",
"image": "http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg",
"knows": [
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html",
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html"
],
"name": "Jane Doe",
"url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
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The @type key gives an object with one or more types, described with an IRI.
The @context provides a way to express IRIs as simple terms, and allows values to be typed.

4. Self-describing Messages
• Give objects types {
"@context": {
(@type) "schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
•
"knows": {"@id": "schema:knows", "@type": "@id"},
Associate properties "name": "schema:name",
"image": {"@id": "schema:image", "@type": "@id"},
with IRIs "url": {"@id": "schema:url", "@type": "@id"}
}
}
{
"@context": "http://example.com/context.jsonld",
"@type": "Person",
"image": "http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg",
"knows": [
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html",
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html"
],
"name": "Jane Doe",
"url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
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5. Self-describing Messages
• Give objects types {
"@context": {
(@type) "schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
•
"knows": {"@id": "schema:knows", "@type": "@id"},
Associate properties "name": "schema:name",
"image": {"@id": "schema:image", "@type": "@id"},
with IRIs "url": {"@id": "schema:url", "@type": "@id"}
}
•
}
Use terms defined in a
referenced context {
"@context": "http://example.com/context.jsonld",
"@type": "Person",
"image": "http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg",
"knows": [
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html",
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html"
],
"name": "Jane Doe",
"url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
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6. Self-describing Messages
• Give objects types {
"@context": {
(@type) "schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
•
"knows": {"@id": "schema:knows", "@type": "@id"},
Associate properties "name": "schema:name",
"image": {"@id": "schema:image", "@type": "@id"},
with IRIs "url": {"@id": "schema:url", "@type": "@id"}
}
•
}
Use terms defined in a
referenced context {
"@context": "http://example.com/context.jsonld",
"@type": "Person",
• Specify property types
"image": "http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg",
"knows": [
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html",
in context "http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html"
],
"name": "Jane Doe",
"url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
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7. RDF Mapping
{
"@context": {
"schema": "http://schema.org/",
"schema:knows": {"@type": "@id"},
"schema:image": {"@type": "@id"},
"schema:url": {"@type": "@id"}
}
}
{ @prefix schema: <http://schema.org/> .
"@context": "http://example.com/context.jsonld", [ a schema:Person;
"@type": "schema:Person", schema:image
"schema:image": <http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg >;
"http://localhost:9393/examples/schema.org/janedoe.jpg", schema:knows
"schema:knows": [ <http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html>,
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html", <http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html>;
"http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html" schema:name “Jane Doe”;
], schema:url <http://www.janedoe.com>
"schema:name": "Jane Doe", ].
"schema:url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
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8. History
• 2010 – Started as a way to project from the RDFa API
• Developers want solutions to work within HTML
applications
• Desire for JSON-idiomatic way of representing RDF
(Linked Data)
• Adapt existing JSON APIs to Linked Data
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9. History
• 2011 – W3C Community Group launched
• Broad Participation
• Separation of Syntax from API
• Proposed to W3C RDF 1.1 Working
Group
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10. History
• 2012 – RDF WG abandons other JSON
serialization efforts (RDF/JSON)
• JSON-LD accepted as official work item
• Community Group drafts final report
• RDF WG to publish JSON-LD (Syntax
and API) as FPWD
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11. Language Principles
Tuesday, July 10, 12

12. • Make full use of JSON syntactic
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
representations "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
• Object defines a subject "name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
definition }
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13. • Make full use of JSON syntactic
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
representations "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
• Object defines a subject "name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
definition }
• Also used for subject
reference and value { "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me" }
representations
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14. • Make full use of JSON syntactic
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
representations "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
• Object defines a subject "name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
definition }
• Also used for subject
reference and value { "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me" }
representations
{
"@type": "Recipe",
"name": "Mom's World Famous Banana Bread",
"ingredients": [
• Arrays describe sets of unordered
values
"3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed",
"1 egg",
"3/4 cup of sugar"
],
• Single values can skip array "nutrition": [{
"@type": ["NutritionInformation"],
"calories": ["240 calories"],
"fatContent": ["9 grams fat"]
}]
}
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15. • Define terms to use short {
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
property names "@type": "http://schema.org/Person",
"http://schema.org/name": "Gregg Kellogg",
• Convenient for JavaScript “.” "http://schema.org/knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
notation }
}
{
"@context": {
"Person": "http://schema.org/Person",
"name": "http://schema.org/name",
"knows”: "http://schema.org/knows"
},
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": {"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"}
}
Tuesday, July 10, 12

16. • Define terms to use short {
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
property names "@type": "http://schema.org/Person",
"http://schema.org/name": "Gregg Kellogg",
• Convenient for JavaScript “.” "http://schema.org/knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
notation }
}
• Add @type coercions to
use simple string value.
{
"@context": {
"schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
"name": "schema:name",
"knows”: {
"@id": "schema:knows",
"@type": "@id"
},
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
}
Tuesday, July 10, 12

17. • Define terms to use short {
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
property names "@type": "http://schema.org/Person",
"http://schema.org/name": "Gregg Kellogg",
• Convenient for JavaScript “.” "http://schema.org/knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
notation }
}
• Add @type coercions to
use simple string value.
{
"@context": {
"schema": "http://schema.org/",
"Person": "schema:Person",
• Use external @context. "name": "schema:name",
"knows”: {
"@id": "schema:knows",
"@type": "@id"
}
}
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
}
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18. •
{
Define referenced subject "@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
definition with chaining "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
}
}
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Subject reference identifies an object with @id in the same document, or references an
external document (Linked Data).

19. •
{
Define referenced subject "@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
definition with chaining "@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
}
}
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
• Add @language to values. "@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"honorificSuffix": {"@value": "M.S.", "@language": "en"},
"knows": {
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"honorificSuffix": {"@value": "Dipl.Ing.", "@language": "de"},
"knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
}
}
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Subject reference identifies an object with @id in the same document, or references an
external document (Linked Data).

20. • Add @type to values. {
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
• Link to externally defined "@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
resources. "birthDate": {"@value": "1957-02-27", "@type": "xsd:date"},
"honorificSuffix": {"@value": "M.S.", "@language": "en"},
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
}
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21. • Add property @type and {
"@context": {
@language definitions to "schema": "http://schema.org/",
context "Person": "schema:Person",
"name": "schema:name",
"birthDate”: {
"@id": "schema: birthDate","@type": "xsd:date"
},
"honorificSuffix”: {
"@id": "schema:honorificSuffix","@language": "en"
},
"knows”: {"@id": "schema:knows","@type": "@id"}
},
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"birthDate": "1957-02-27",
"honorificSuffix": "M.S.",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
}
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22. • More features defined in the syntax
specification*:
• @set, @list, Compact IRIs, Unlabeled
Nodes
• Embedded @context definitions
• Named Graphs
* http://json-ld.org/spec/latest/json-ld-syntax
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23. Retrofit existing APIs
GET /foaf.json HTTP/1.1
Host: greggkellogg.net
Accept: application/json,*/*;q=0.1
====================================
HTTP/1.0 200 OK
...
Content-Type: application/json
Link: <http://json-ld.org/contexts/person>; rel="describedby"; type="application/ld+json"
{
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"homepage": "http://greggkellogg.net/",
"depiction": "http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/gkellogg"
}
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Normal JSON can be made JSON-LD by adding an external context through an HTTP link
relation.

24. The “LD” in JSON-LD
• IRIs are first-class http://greggkellogg.net/foaf
citizens {
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
}
http://www.markus-lanthaler.com
{
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
}
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25. The “LD” in JSON-LD
• IRIs are first-class http://greggkellogg.net/foaf
citizens {
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
• Object definitions may
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me",
"@type": "Person",
be referenced or "name": "Gregg Kellogg",
"knows": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/"
embedded }
http://www.markus-lanthaler.com
{
{ "@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person",
"@context": "http://json-ld.org/contexts/person", "@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@id": "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me", "@type": "Person",
"@type": "Person", "name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"name": "Gregg Kellogg", "knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
"knows": { }
"@id": "http://www.markus-lanthaler.com/",
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Markus Lanthaler",
"knows" "http://greggkellogg.net/foaf#me"
}
}
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26. JSON-LD API
• compact – use minimal representation
using a supplied @context
• expand – expand to full form, removing
embedded @context definitions
• frame – query for JSON-LD
• fromRDF/toRDF
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27. More Information
json-ld.org JavaScript
Ruby
w3c Python
PHP
Java
Gregg Kellogg C++
gregg@greggkellogg.net
http://greggkellogg.net/
@gkellogg
Tuesday, July 10, 12