XSD2RDF

A tool to convert XML Schema (XSD) files into various RDF formats (SHACL, OWL, SKOS) with integrated validation capabilities.

Overview

XSD2RDF allows you to convert XML Schema definitions into:

• SHACL (Shapes Constraint Language) for RDF data validation
• OWL (Web Ontology Language) for ontology representation
• SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) for concept schemes and taxonomies

Features

• Convert XSD to SHACL, OWL, and SKOS based on integrated principles
• SHACL shape constraints are linked to SKOS concept schemes when applicable
• Handle complex XSD structures (choices, unions, complex types, enumerations, etc.)
• SHACL shapes are validated according to SHACL-SHACL

This repository also includes a validation script to check RDF data against the generated SHACL shapes and SKOS concepts.

Current usage

This tool is currently used by ERA for the purpose of generating the telematics ontology in preparation to be merged with ERA ontology.

Installation

From PyPI

pip install xsd2rdf

From Source

git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/xsd2rdf.git
cd xsd2rdf
python -m pip install poetry
poetry install

Basic Usage

Convert an XSD file to all RDF formats (SHACL, OWL, SKOS):

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd

This generates the following files:

• schema.xsd.shape.ttl (SHACL shapes)
• schema.xsd.owl.ttl (OWL ontology)
• schema.xsd.*.skos.ttl (SKOS concept schemes, one file per enumeration)

Command Line Parameters

• -x, --xsd-file: XSD file to be converted
• -f, --folder: Folder containing non-related XSD files to be converted
• -o, --output-dir: Output directory for generated files (default: same as XSD file)
• -a, --abbreviations-file: File containing custom abbreviations, one per line
• -d, --debug: Enable debug output
• -n, --namespaced-concepts: Use namespaced IRIs for SKOS concepts
• -u, --namespace: Override the XSD targetNamespace for generated SHACL, OWL and SKOS resources
• -p, --has-prefix-for-properties: Add has as a prefix for generated property IRIs
• -s, --skip-shacl-validation: Skip SHACL-SHACL validation
• -k, --property-kind-qualified-iris: Append DP or OP to every property IRI according to its OWL property kind

Either -x or -f must be specified, but not both. If both are specified, -x takes precedence.

abbreviations-file

Provide a custom abbreviations file to preserve domain-specific acronyms when labels are generated from camelCase or PascalCase names.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd -a path/to/abbreviations.txt

Effect on output:

• Labels and human-readable names keep the listed abbreviations in uppercase.
• Generated SHACL, OWL, and SKOS resources use the same IRIs as before, but the textual labels become more accurate.

debug

Enable verbose logging while converting schemas.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd -d

Effect on output:

• Prints additional conversion details to the console.
• Does not change the generated SHACL, OWL, or SKOS files.

namespaced-concepts

Generate SKOS concept IRIs in a hierarchical structure instead of a flat one.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd --namespaced-concepts

Effect on output:

• SKOS concepts become targetnamespace/concepts/conceptschemename/conceptname instead of targetnamespace/concepts/conceptschemename_conceptname.
• The generated SKOS files still represent the same concepts, but the IRIs are easier to group by concept scheme.

namespace

Override the XSD target namespace used for generated RDF resources.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd --namespace http://data.europa.eu/949/

Effect on output:

• SHACL, OWL, and SKOS IRIs are emitted under the provided namespace instead of the schema target namespace.
• This is useful when generated resources must align with an existing vocabulary namespace.

has-prefix-for-properties

Add has as a prefix to generated property IRIs.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd --has-prefix-for-properties

Effect on output:

• Property IRIs are prefixed with has where applicable.
• The change applies to generated SHACL paths and OWL property IRIs, making property names more explicit.

skip-shacl-validation

Skip the SHACL-SHACL validation step during generation.

python -m xsd2rdf -x path/to/schema.xsd -s

Effect on output:

• The SHACL validation phase is not run.
• Generation completes faster, but invalid SHACL output is not checked before files are written.

property-kind-qualified-iris

Append a property-kind suffix to every generated property IRI so datatype and object properties remain distinct.

python -m xsd2rdf \
  -x path/to/schema.xsd \
  --property-kind-qualified-iris

Effect on output:

• Datatype properties receive the DP suffix and object properties receive the OP suffix.
• SHACL paths and OWL property IRIs no longer collide when the same local name is used for different property kinds.

This is a global opt-in mode. It changes all generated property IRIs, not only IRIs that would otherwise be used as both datatype and object properties. The default mode remains unchanged for backwards compatibility.

For example, consider two complex types that both use an author element in the same xsd file, but with a different structure. A Book has an author name (simple string), while an Article references an author as a complete person object:

<xsd:complexType name="Book">
  <xsd:sequence>
    <xsd:element name="title" type="xsd:string"/>
    <xsd:element name="author" type="xsd:string"/>
  </xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>

<xsd:complexType name="Article">
  <xsd:sequence>
    <xsd:element name="title" type="xsd:string"/>
    <xsd:element name="author" type="PersonType"/>
  </xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>

<xsd:complexType name="PersonType">
  <xsd:sequence>
    <xsd:element name="firstName" type="xsd:string"/>
    <xsd:element name="lastName" type="xsd:string"/>
  </xsd:sequence>
</xsd:complexType>

With property-kind qualification enabled, their SHACL paths and OWL property IRIs are distinct:

sh:path ex:authorDP .
ex:authorDP a owl:DatatypeProperty .

sh:path ex:authorOP .
ex:authorOP a owl:ObjectProperty .

Release new version CI/CD

The CI/CD script will automatically push a new version of the library to PyPi when a new Gitlab tag is created. As the tag name, use semantic versioning with 3 digits, examples: v1.2.3.

For user's convenience, best also add human readable release notes.

Development validation

This feature is only available from source as it is meant for development purposes.

Prerequisites:

• Create sample data for validation schema.xsd.shape.ttl in the same directory as the xsd file

To validate RDF data against SHACL shapes with SKOS concepts:

python shacl-validation.py path/to/schema.xsd

This result will:

1. Load the data from schema.xsd.sample.ttl
2. Include all related SKOS files (schema.xsd.*.skos.ttl)
3. Perform validation using the generated SHACL shapes (schema.xsd.shape.ttl)
4. Report results in the command line

Wiki Pages

Some wiki pages explain the inner workings of the convertor and the list of mapping rules implemented within the tool.

License

EUPL 1.2