SPARQL Query Language for RDF is a W3C Recommendation

From Web4WeB - Portal on Semantic web Technologies

January 15, 2008

W3C announced today the publication of Topic SPARQL, the key standard for opening up data on the Semantic Web. With SPARQL query technology, pronounced "sparkle," people can focus on what they want to know rather than on the database technology or data format used behind the scenes to store the data. Because SPARQL queries express high-level goals, it is easier to extend them to unanticipated data sources, or even to port them to new applications.

"Trying to use the Semantic Web without SPARQL is like trying to use a relational database without SQL," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director. "SPARQL makes it possible to query information from databases and other diverse sources in the wild, across the Web."

There are already 14 known implementations of SPARQL, many of which are open source.

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