Synonyms
Definition
In a networked information system, a resource identifier is a compact surrogate for a resource that can be used to identify, retrieve, and otherwise operate on the resource. An identifier typically takes the form of a short textual string. An identifier must be resolved to yield the associated resource.
Key Points
Resource identifiers can be broadly characterized as either locations, which identify resources by where they reside, or names, which identify resources by properties intrinsic to the resources [2]. This distinction is not absolute, and identifiers can exhibit characteristics of both classes. Nevertheless, the distinction is useful in defining the relationship between identifiers and resources. Consider:
Can two distinct, yet identical resources have the same identifier?
If a resource changes, must its identifier change?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then the identifiers should be...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsRecommended Reading
Hilse H.-W. and Kothe J. (2006). Implementing persistent identifiers: overview of concepts, guidelines and recommendations. London/Amsterdam: Consortium of European Libraries and European Commission on Preservation and Access. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:7-isbn-90-6984-508-3-8
Jacobs I. and Walsh N. (eds.) (2004). Architecture of the World Wide Web, Volume One. http://www.w3.org/TR/webarch/
Sollins K. and Masinter L. Functional Requirements for Uniform Resource Names. IETF RFC 1737, 1994. http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1737.txt
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Janée, G. (2009). Resource Identifier. In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_141
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_141
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-35544-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-39940-9
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceReference Module Computer Science and Engineering