OWL API

The OWL API is a Java API and reference implementation for creating, manipulating and serialising OWL Ontologies. The latest version of the API, version 3.x and the one used in the OSF framework, is focused towards OWL 2. See the OWL 2 Overview for a description on the changed specifications in this new language version.

The OWL API includes the following components:

An API for OWL 2 and an efficient in-memory reference implementation
 * RDF/XML parser and writer
 * OWL/XML parser and writer
 * OWL (Manchester) Functional Syntax parser and writer
 * Turtle parser and writer
 * KRSS parser
 * OBO Flat file format parser
 * Reasoner interfaces for working with reasoners such as FaCT++, HermiT, Pellet and Racer.

For the purposes of the OSF usage, there are also specific function calls within the API for specific ontology component retrievals and manipulations.

OWL API Version 3.x has been developed primarily at the University of Manchester.