RESTful SPARQL? You Name It! — Aligning SPARQL with REST and Resource Orientation

SPARQL is the standard query language for RDF, but currently is a read-only language defined in a way similar to SQL: Queries can be formulated, are submitted to a single processing facility, which then returns a result set. In this paper, we examine the shortcomings of this approach with regard to Web architecture, and propose a path towards a language that is more in line with basic principles of Web architecture. While this work has been done in the context of a proposed update extension for SPARQL, our focus is on how to apply the principles of Representational State Transfer (REST) to SPARQL. Our claim is that a RESTful redesign of SPARQL allows the Semantic Web to evolve in a more decentralized and openly accessible way than the current RPC-style design of SPARQL.