This vocabulary defines terms used in SHACL, the W3C Shapes Constraint Language.
W3C Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL) Vocabulary
The (meta) class for parameterizable targets that are based on SPARQL queries.
SPARQL target type
The class of SHACL functions that execute a JavaScript function when called.
JavaScript function
The class of all node kinds, including sh:BlankNode, sh:IRI, sh:Literal or the combinations of these: sh:BlankNodeOrIRI, sh:BlankNodeOrLiteral, sh:IRIOrLiteral.
Node kind
A rule based on triple (subject, predicate, object) pattern.
The class of resources that encapsulate a SPARQL query.
SPARQL executable
The base class of validation results, typically not instantiated directly.
Abstract result
The class of SHACL rules expressed using JavaScript.
JavaScript rule
The class of targets that are based on SPARQL queries.
SPARQL target
The class of constraints based on SPARQL SELECT queries.
SPARQL constraint
A shape is a collection of constraints that may be targeted for certain nodes.
Shape
Superclass of components that can take parameters, especially functions and constraint components.
Parameterizable
The class of SHACL rules. Never instantiated directly.
Rule
A property shape is a shape that specifies constraints on the values of a focus node for a given property or path.
Property shape
The class of constraints backed by a JavaScript function.
JavaScript-based constraint
The class of SPARQL executables that are based on a CONSTRUCT query.
SPARQL CONSTRUCT executable
A function backed by a SPARQL query - either ASK or SELECT.
SPARQL function
The class of validators, which provide instructions on how to process a constraint definition. This class serves as base class for the SPARQL-based validators and other possible implementations.
Validator
The class of SHACL functions.
Function
The class of constraint components.
Constraint component
Instances of this class represent groups of property shapes that belong together.
Property group
The class of targets that are based on JavaScript functions.
JavaScript target
The base class of targets such as those based on SPARQL queries.
Target
The class of validators based on SPARQL ASK queries. The queries are evaluated for each value node and are supposed to return true if the given node conforms.
SPARQL ASK validator
The class of SPARQL executables based on a SPARQL UPDATE.
SPARQL UPDATE executable
The (meta) class for parameterizable targets that are based on JavaScript functions.
JavaScript target type
A node shape is a shape that specifies constraint that need to be met with respect to focus nodes.
Node shape
A class of result annotations, which define the rules to derive the values of a given annotation property as extra values for a validation result.
Result annotation
The class of validation results.
Validation result
The class of SHACL rules based on SPARQL CONSTRUCT queries.
SPARQL CONSTRUCT rule
The class of SPARQL executables that are based on an ASK query.
SPARQL ASK executable
The class of parameter declarations, consisting of a path predicate and (possibly) information about allowed value type, cardinality and other characteristics.
Parameter
A SHACL validator based on JavaScript. This can be used to declare SHACL constraint components that perform JavaScript-based validation when used.
JavaScript validator
The class of SHACL validation reports.
Validation report
The class of SPARQL executables based on a SELECT query.
SPARQL SELECT executable
The class of validation result severity levels, including violation and warning levels.
Severity
The class of prefix declarations, consisting of pairs of a prefix with a namespace.
Prefix declaration
Abstract base class of resources that declare an executable JavaScript.
JavaScript executable
The class of validators based on SPARQL SELECT queries. The queries are evaluated for each focus node and are supposed to produce bindings for all focus nodes that do not conform.
SPARQL SELECT validator
Represents a JavaScript library, typically identified by one or more URLs of files to include.
JavaScript library
The (meta) class for parameterizable targets. Instances of this are instantiated as values of the sh:target property.
Target type
The shapes that the focus nodes need to conform to before a rule is executed on them.
condition
Specifies the relative order of this compared to its siblings. For example use 0 for the first, 1 for the second.
order
Indicates whether a parameter is optional.
optional
Specifies a property that must have the same values as the value nodes.
equals
Declares the URLs of a JavaScript library. This should be the absolute URL of a JavaScript file. Implementations may redirect those to local files.
JavaScript library URL
Specifies the minimum number of values in the set of value nodes.
min count
The type that all value nodes must have.
class
Human-readable labels for the property in the context of the surrounding shape.
name
The (single) value of this property must be a list of path elements, representing the elements of alternative paths.
alternative path
Human-readable descriptions for the property in the context of the surrounding shape.
description
RDF list of shapes to validate the value nodes against.
and
The SPARQL SELECT query to execute.
select
The maximum number of value nodes that can conform to the shape.
qualified max count
Specifies the node kind (e.g. IRI or literal) each value node.
node kind
Specifies a list of shapes so that the value nodes must conform to at least one of the shapes.
An RDF node that has caused the result.
value
Specifies a list of allowed values so that each value node must be among the members of the given list.
The validator(s) used to evaluate a constraint in the context of a node shape.
shape validator
The constraint component that is the source of the result.
source constraint component
An expression producing the nodes that shall be inferred as objects.
object
Links a SPARQL validator with zero or more sh:ResultAnnotation instances, defining how to derive additional result properties based on the variables of the SELECT query.
result annotation
Can be used to mark the qualified value shape to be disjoint with its sibling shapes.
qualified value shapes disjoint
Suggested shapes graphs for this ontology. The values of this property may be used in the absence of specific sh:shapesGraph statements.
suggested shapes graph
Specifies a list of shapes so that the value nodes must conform to exactly one of the shapes.
exactly one
The validation results contained in a validation report.
result
Links a shape to a class, indicating that all instances of the class must conform to the shape.
target class
The name of the JavaScript function to execute.
JavaScript function name
Links a result with other results that provide more details, for example to describe violations against nested shapes.
detail
The parameters of a function or constraint component.
parameter
The (single) value of this property represents a path that is matched zero or one times.
zero or one path
True if the validation did not produce any validation results, and false otherwise.
conforms
The expected type of values returned by the associated function.
return type
The prefix of a prefix declaration.
prefix
The path of a validation result, based on the path of the validated property shape.
result path
An expression producing the resources that shall be inferred as subjects.
subject
The SPARQL CONSTRUCT query to execute.
construct
Specifies the property path of a property shape.
path
The (single) value of this property represents a path that is matched one or more times.
one or more path
If set to true then the shape is closed.
closed
Specifies a value that must be among the value nodes.
has value
Outlines how human-readable labels of instances of the associated Parameterizable shall be produced. The values can contain {?paramName} as placeholders for the actual values of the given parameter.
label template
Specifies a property where the set of values must be disjoint with the value nodes.
disjoint
Shapes graphs that should be used when validating this data graph.
shapes graph
Specifies an RDF datatype that all value nodes must have.
datatype
Defines the severity that validation results produced by a shape must have. Defaults to sh:Violation.
severity
The SPARQL ASK query to execute.
ask
The (single) value of this property represents a path that is matched zero or more times.
zero or more path
The focus node that was validated when the result was produced.
focus node
An optional flag to be used with regular expression pattern matching.
flags
A list of node expressions that shall be used together.
union
The (default) values of the annotation property.
annotation value
Links a shape to a property, indicating that all subjects of triples that have the given property as their predicate must conform to the shape.
target subjects of
The prefixes that shall be applied before parsing the associated SPARQL query.
prefixes
Specifies the maximum inclusive value of each value node.
max inclusive
The namespace associated with a prefix in a prefix declaration.
namespace
JavaScript constraint
Links a shape to a target specified by an extension language, for example instances of sh:SPARQLTarget.
target
The SPARQL UPDATE to execute.
update
An entailment regime that indicates what kind of inferencing is required by a shapes graph.
entailment
Specifies the minimum exclusive value of each value node.
min exclusive
Specifies the maximum string length of each value node.
max length
Specifies a regular expression pattern that the string representations of the value nodes must match.
pattern
Specifies the minimum inclusive value of each value node.
min inclusive
The shape that all input nodes of the expression need to conform to.
filter shape
The rules linked to a shape.
rule
Links a resource with its namespace prefix declarations.
declare
The minimum number of value nodes that must conform to the shape.
qualified min count
Specifies the maximum exclusive value of each value node.
max exclusive
The constraint that was validated when the result was produced.
source constraint
Can be used to link to a property group to indicate that a property shape belongs to a group of related property shapes.
group
Links a shape to its property shapes.
property
Specifies a shape that the value nodes must not conform to.
not
A list of node expressions that shall be intersected.
intersection
The validator(s) used to evaluate constraints of either node or property shapes.
validator
Specifies the node shape that all value nodes must conform to.
node
Links a shape to individual nodes, indicating that these nodes must conform to the shape.
target node
Specifies the maximum number of values in the set of value nodes.
max count
Specifies a property that must have smaller or equal values than the value nodes.
less than or equals
The name of the SPARQL variable from the SELECT clause that shall be used for the values.
annotation variable name
The shape that a specified number of values must conform to.
qualified value shape
The severity of the result, e.g. warning.
result severity
An expression producing the properties that shall be inferred as predicates.
predicate
Human-readable messages explaining the cause of the result.
result message
A human-readable message (possibly with placeholders for variables) explaining the cause of the result.
message
The shape that is was validated when the result was produced.
source shape
Specifies a property that must have smaller values than the value nodes.
less than
The (single) value of this property represents an inverse path (object to subject).
inverse path
The validator(s) used to evaluate a constraint in the context of a property shape.
property validator
Specifies whether all node values must have a unique (or no) language tag.
unique languages
If true then the validation engine was certain that the shapes graph has passed all SHACL syntax requirements during the validation process.
shapes graph well-formed
A default value for a property, for example for user interface tools to pre-populate input fields.
default value
The node expression producing the input nodes of a filter shape expression.
nodes
Links a shape with SPARQL constraints.
constraint (in SPARQL)
If set to true then all nodes conform to this.
deactivated
The node expression that must return true for the value nodes.
expression
An optional RDF list of properties that are also permitted in addition to those explicitly enumerated via sh:property/sh:path.
ignored properties
The annotation property that shall be set.
annotation property
Specifies a list of language tags that all value nodes must have.
language in
Specifies the minimum string length of each value node.
min length
Declares which JavaScript libraries are needed to execute this.
Links a shape to a property, indicating that all all objects of triples that have the given property as their predicate must conform to the shape.
target objects of
The node kind of all IRIs.
IRI
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the datatype of all value nodes.
Datatype constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that value nodes do not conform to a given shape.
Not constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that all value nodes conform to the given node shape.
Node constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the minimum string length of value nodes.
Min-length constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the value nodes so that they conform to exactly one out of several provided shapes.
Exactly one constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to enumerate language tags that all value nodes must have.
Language-in constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the maximum string length of value nodes.
Max-length constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that each value node is smaller than all the nodes that have the focus node as subject and the value of a given property as predicate.
Less-than constraint component
The node kind of all literals.
Literal
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the range of value nodes with a minimum exclusive value.
Min-exclusive constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that a given node expression produces true for all value nodes.
Expression constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that a specified maximum number of value nodes conforms to a given shape.
Qualified-max-count constraint component
A constraint component with the parameter sh:js linking to a sh:JSConstraint containing a sh:script.
JavaScript constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to exclusively enumerate the permitted value nodes.
In constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that every value node matches a given regular expression.
Pattern constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that one of the value nodes is a given RDF node.
Has-value constraint component
The severity for a violation validation result.
Violation
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the maximum number of value nodes.
Max-count constraint component
The severity for an informational validation result.
Info
A constraint component that can be used to verify that all value nodes conform to the given property shape.
Property constraint component
The severity for a warning validation result.
Warning
A constraint component that can be used to verify that each value node is an instance of a given type.
Class constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the value nodes so that they conform to at least one out of several provided shapes.
Or constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to specify that no pair of value nodes may use the same language tag.
Unique-languages constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the range of value nodes with a maximum exclusive value.
Max-exclusive constraint component
The node kind of all blank nodes.
Blank node
The node kind of all blank nodes or IRIs.
Blank node or IRI
The node kind of all blank nodes or literals.
Blank node or literal
The node kind of all IRIs or literals.
IRI or literal
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the RDF node kind of each value node.
Node-kind constraint component
A node expression that represents the current focus node.
this
A constraint component that can be used to verify that a specified minimum number of value nodes conforms to a given shape.
Qualified-min-count constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to define constraints based on SPARQL queries.
SPARQL constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the range of value nodes with a maximum inclusive value.
Max-inclusive constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that the set of value nodes is equal to the set of nodes that have the focus node as subject and the value of a given property as predicate.
Equals constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that the set of value nodes is disjoint with the the set of nodes that have the focus node as subject and the value of a given property as predicate.
Disjoint constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to test whether a value node conforms to all members of a provided list of shapes.
And constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to indicate that focus nodes must only have values for those properties that have been explicitly enumerated via sh:property/sh:path.
Closed constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to verify that every value node is smaller than all the nodes that have the focus node as subject and the value of a given property as predicate.
less-than-or-equals constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the minimum number of value nodes.
Min-count constraint component
A constraint component that can be used to restrict the range of value nodes with a minimum inclusive value.
Min-inclusive constraint component