LDkit: Linked Data Object Graph Mapping Toolkit for Web Applications

Abstract

The adoption of Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies in web application development has been hindered by the complexity of numerous standards, such as RDF and SPARQL, as well as the challenges associated with querying data from distributed sources and a variety of interfaces. Understandably, web developers often prefer traditional solutions based on relational or document databases due to the higher level of data predictability and superior developer experience. To address these issues, we present LDkit, a novel Object Graph Mapping (OGM) framework for TypeScript designed to provide a model-based abstraction for RDF. LDkit facilitates the direct utilization of Linked Data in web applications, effectively working as the data access layer. It accomplishes this by querying and retrieving data, and transforming it into TypeScript primitives according to user defined data schemas, while ensuring end-to-end data type safety. This paper describes the design and implementation of LDkit, highlighting its ability to simplify the integration of Semantic Web technologies into web applications, while adhering to both general web standards and Linked Data specific standards. Furthermore, we discuss how LDkit framework has been designed to integrate seamlessly with popular web application technologies that developers are already familiar with. This approach promotes ease of adoption, allowing developers to harness the power of Linked Data without disrupting their current workflows. Through the provision of an efficient and intuitive toolkit, LDkit aims to enhance the web ecosystem by promoting the widespread adoption of Linked Data and Semantic Web technologies.