The Semantic Web Rule Language Expressiveness Extensions-A Survey

The Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) is a direct extension of OWL 2 DL with a subset of RuleML, and it is designed to be the rule language of the Semantic Web. This paper explores the state-of-the-art of SWRL's expressiveness extensions proposed over time. As a motivation, the effectiveness of the SWRL/OWL combination in modeling domain facts is discussed while some of the common expressive limitations of the combination are also highlighted. The paper then classifies and presents the relevant language extensions of the SWRL and their added expressive powers to the original SWRL definition. Furthermore, it provides a comparative analysis of the syntax and semantics of the proposed extensions. In conclusion, the decidability requirement and usability of each expressiveness extension are evaluated towards an efficient inclusion into the OWL ontologies.