Designing for Interoperability: Overcoming Semantic Differences

Interoperability can be understood in a number of ways. In a minimal sense, even the capability to transfer data from one computer system to another without transformation loss can be identified as interoperability. In a broader sense, interoperability can be taken to suggest the ability of different applications to interact dynamically, facilitating the smooth interface of multiple information sources. This chapter examines interoperability in this second sense, specifically the role of semantics in facilitating the exchange of information.