When an imported ontology that is currently in use is deleted, and then reimported, what happens to existing items that are assigned classes and/or properties from it?
The reason I would like to do so is that I would like to modify a schema, but adding and removing classes and properties, that is developed externally, and was imported into Omeka-S.
Is there a better way to perform such task or attain the goal?
what happens to existing items that are assigned classes and/or properties from it?
Deleting a vocabulary is a potentially destructive act. It un-assigns classes and deletes property values from all resources that use them.
Is there a better way to perform such task or attain the goal?
When editing a vocabulary in Omeka S, you can update it to a newer version. You can add new classes and properties, but you cannot remove them.
Are you attempting to update a custom vocabulary that you control, or one that is published by someone else? We don’t recommend modifying vocabularies that are published by someone else. Instead, we recommend that you a) find an existing vocabulary that fits your specifications; or b) create your own vocabulary that includes the additional classes and properties that you need.
Thanks for your answer.
Is it the case also even if the ontology is reimported after being modified, where classes and properties that remain in it keep their IRIs, while making sure that no classes or properties that will eventually be dropped from the ontology are in use?
The reason of my question is that I noticed, from previous experimentation, that classes and properties cannot be deleted from an ontology.
I’m trying to revise an ontology that we developed in-house. We would have liked to reuse an existing ontology, and spent a great deal of time and effort researching, but it didn’t work for us. Reusability of ontologies still has some way before becoming the norm, it seems.
If the above path doesn’t work, I might have to go the long path of mass-reassigning classes and properties to intermediaries, before reassigning to the modified ontology after re-importing it. What do you think?
Is it the case also even if the ontology is reimported after being modified, where classes and properties that remain in it keep their IRIs, while making sure that no classes or properties that will eventually be dropped from the ontology are in use?
Would you rephrase this? I don’t understand the question.
I meant to ask whether the destructive effect is immediate, and whether reimporting the same ontology would mitigate it, making the class and property assignments reappear, first supposing that I do not change anything. Just delete the ontology then reimport it as is.
If this is true, then I have further whatifs that would make up my whole plan.
But if this is not the case, then the rest of my plan wouldn’t work, and I will propose something else.
Thanks in advance. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my niche case.
Deleting a vocabulary will remove “Suggested class” and property assignments from resource templates; and it will remove class assignments and delete property values from resources. These changes are irreversible. Importing the same vocabulary will not reassign or un-delete things.
In this case, I will have to either assign everything to intermediate classes and properties, or import the modified ontology under a new name and migrate everything to it.