[AppStream] [fdo] Wikidata IDs in appdata.xml

[Loic Dachary]

[removing freedesktop from the To:]

Hi Matthias & Tobias,

Here are tentative answers:

> why you want this metadata piece in the files

The Wikidata ID is a link to the http://wikidata.org/ item that contains facts about the software. Comparing the content of appdata.xml and wikidata would help users, wikidata editors and appdata.xml maintainers. 

The user (human or program) of https://github.com/GNOME/gimp/blob/gimp-2-8/desktop/gimp.appdata.xml.in has no information about the license. Using the Wikidata ID the license is found to be GPL-3.0 at https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8038.

The wikidata GNOME Builder item can reference the appdata.xml.in as the primary source of information regarding the license as shown in https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?title=Q20739542&type=revision&diff=374511744&oldid=374511702. 

The appdata.xml maintainer can harvest the descriptions translated into various languages from wikidata. For instance https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20739542 has a french description that could be used in https://github.com/chergert/gnome-builder/blob/master/data/org.gnome.Builder.appdata.xml.in.

> It will also help a lot if you could point out a service or application that will consume this data

Whatever application consumes appdata.xml could use Wikidata ID when a field is missing.

I hope that helps :-)

On 08/09/2016 00:39, Matthias Klumpp wrote:
> 2016-09-07 22:33 GMT+02:00 Tobias Schönberg <tobias47n9e at gmail.com>:
>> Hi all!
>>
>> I am wondering if it has been considered to add the Wikidata ID to
>> appdata.xml. It would allow for a better mapping between free software and
>> the data that is available on Wikidata. Builder for example:
>>
>> https://github.com/chergert/gnome-builder/blob/master/data/org.gnome.Builder.appdata.xml.in
>>
>> could store the Wikidata ID: Q20739542
> 
> The metainfo specification is part of the AppStream project, so
> ideally discuss this on the AS mailinglist (appstream at freedesktop.org,
> CC'ed).
> 
>> With that it would be possible to call:
>> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20739542 and retrieve additional information
>> about the program.
>>
>> Is there a process of how to add this to the appdata.xml specification?
> 
> Ask on the mailinglist or file a bug at
> https://github.com/ximion/appstream/issues
> 
> Usually, be prepared to explain why you want this metadata piece in
> the files, and what benefit it brings to users, ideally with a
> concrete usecase for the problem.
> It will also help a lot if you could point out a service or
> application that will consume this data, and a project that is willing
> to add it.
> 
> Cheers,
>     Matthias (AppStream maintainer :P)
> 

-- 
Loïc Dachary, Artisan Logiciel Libre