Guide to Freebase Types

Guide to Freebase Types: Boolean

2008-08-04T19:46:03.0013Z

The link is this one, which is linked here.

And thanks for the instructions on how to get it

Guide to Freebase Types: Boolean

2008-08-04T19:06:02.0012Z

What URL are you trying to go to when you get the server error?

Boolean still exists, but it's not obvious in the client (there is a bug open to address this); the way to create a boolean property is to select "link to a topic" and type in "boolean".

Guide to Freebase Types: Boolean

2008-08-04T18:30:56.0017Z

I can't access the boolean link. I receive this error:

The error was: Internal Server Error

I also do not see boolean as an option in the property data type options. Is this still available?

Guide to Freebase Types: Better documentation

2008-04-30T00:58:48.0005Z

Could someone do a step by step guide on how to set up a CVT . The help given is too ambigious, i dont know when or in what order i should click on the suggested links etc.
I have tried twice without success. Thanks

Guide to Freebase Types: Dead links

2008-04-01T19:08:40.0000Z

Thanks for catching this, Tracy; I’ve filed a bug to get those fixed, and to check for other similar problems. This is a risk of alpha software; we changed the structure of Freebase URLs after that got written, and the doc has not all been updated.

Guide to Freebase Types: Dead links

2008-04-01T06:02:44.0005Z

The links (The Player, Film Performance) lead nowhere, so the examples are especially illuminating.

Guide to Freebase Types: Possible use of supporting types

2007-12-13T00:21:24.0007Z

Thanks Jeff. You're probably right about CVT as a more logical approach. I'll try it on and see if it fits.

Guide to Freebase Types: Possible use of supporting types

2007-12-12T23:23:09.0007Z

I don't think supporting types will help you out here, but I could be wrong. If I understand the problem (which I might not), I think it could be solved by using a CVT. I.e., you have a property ("egg information", say) with an expected type that is a CVT. The CVT would have properties for # of eggs, species, and habitat type (all of which should be marked as disambiguators). That way, you can enter both "species 1, eggs 5, habtype 1" and "species 2, eggs 4, habtype 2" as property values on the same topic. This also removes the problem of having to name the topics, since as you point out, there's no sensible name for ones like these.

Guide to Freebase Types: Possible use of supporting types

2007-12-12T23:01:48.0012Z

I expect that the following example would best be modeled as a supporting type and would like to get some feedback. I would like to use Freebase to summarize and store somewhat complex conditional values. For example, I would like to create a topic that holds the following information: In publication 1 there were 5 eggs of species 1 in habitat type 1 but in that same publication there were 4 eggs for species 2 in habitat type 2.

Currently I can model these 2 topics (i.e. pub 1, species 1, eggs 5, habtype 1 vs. pub 1, species 2, eggs 4, habtype 2) through a standard type with little problem. Data entry for relatively redundant topics will be relatively slow going until cloning is available but it is possible. It seems to me that a supporting type should probably be used to maintain these entries. Correct? I sure as heck don't want them coming up in the UI because they are too complex among other reasons.

This brings up the following question: Why should I give it these kinds of topics a name? If the names aren't used in the UI then it is just a system identifier. A time stamp would work just as well. Also, I probably won't know a good name for these topics until I enter their attributes. Maybe a name could automatically be created and then updated as a concatenation of topic properties? Either way, naming the topics for this kind of supporting type will often be pointless and a waste of time. Is it possible for a new feature to allow the checking of a box for automatic generation of names for a supporting type?

Guide to Freebase Types: Finite set of options

2007-12-11T01:58:35.0007Z

Thanks. I found out through trial and error that the list items are added as topics to the type. This was not intuitive to me and I was not able to find documentation on it. My original conception was that the list items were added as part of the schema. I like how it works but maybe it needs a little better or easier to find documentation on the actual steps of defining the set.

Guide to Freebase Types: Finite set of options

2007-12-10T23:43:13.0000Z

An enumerated type just means it'll pick up items from a given type and won't let the user add to the list. "Gender" on "Person" is an example: you get a choice of Male/Female but can't add in a new one as you can with many other FB fields. So if you wanted a shortened list, you'd have to use (or make) a more specific type.

Guide to Freebase Types: Finite set of options

2007-12-09T04:11:22.0012Z

How do you set the finite set of options for an enumerated type? The format doesn't look any different than a standard type.

Guide to Freebase Types: Compound Types, Mediators and Recipricated links

2007-08-24T23:07:14.0007Z

fyi, we're trying to move away from the use of the word 'mediator' and just use 'compound value type' -- in the hopes that people will be less confused. To get technical, a mediator is a compound value type that connects two or more types -- whereas you can also have a terminal compound value type that connects a type to a collection of literal values... but this distinction is something that likely will only confuse people more... thus, we like to just call 'em CVTs.

Guide to Freebase Types: Compound Types, Mediators and Recipricated links

2007-08-24T15:37:21.0012Z

Thanks - that did exactly what I was trying to do.

Guide to Freebase Types: Compound Types, Mediators and Recipricated links

2007-08-22T18:00:42.0000Z

The simplest way to do this is with the "suggested properties" feature on the type definition page.

For example, you could create the "Station" type, then the "Adjoining Relationship" type. Then add an "adjoins" property to Station with an expected type of Adjoining Relationship. Now click through to the Adjoining Relationship type definition page. There should be a property under "Suggested Properties" whose expected type is Station. Double click it to give it a name, and your reciprocal property should be all set.

Guide to Freebase Types: Compound Types, Mediators and Recipricated links

2007-08-22T13:01:08.0005Z

I'm trying to set up a mediator - and it seems to be part of the functionality of compound types, or am I just getting confused here.

I'd like to set up a type to hold the relationship between two adjoining rail stations, much like the Adjoining Relationship used by the Adjoins property of a Location, except I want to speciy the Rail Line that links the two stations as well.

I can work out how to create the type, but in order to link two stations I have to go into the mediator type and add the second one in manually. Is there a way to easily create the reciproated link so that when I am in station1 and add station2 as an Adjacent Station station1 will appear in the Adjacent Station list for station2 as well?

Thanks.

Guide to Freebase Types: Changes in handling of Compound Value Types?

2007-07-27T00:45:40.0004Z

When I first started using Compound Value Types, some 4 weeks ago, they were handled by Freebase as described above. I.e.(1) you would be prompted for as many properties as they were declared to have when you wanted to create a new one, and (2) they didn't have a user-supplied display name. Unless I'm doing something different now, both aspects seem to have changed. When I now want to create a new one, Freebase prompts me for only one entry, rather than one per property. This is then taken as the display name (rather than the obscure GUID used previously). You can then provide values for the n properties for one instance of this CVT, and indeed edit its display name, just as you can for any topic.

Am I indeed right in thinking that there has been a change in the way CVTs are handled, or am I just doing something different? If the former, then this should be reflected in the documentation.

Guide to Freebase Types: Instructions for setting up a compound value type are not clear!

2007-07-11T00:22:19.0000Z

Although they appear in Type Editor, the suggested properties shouldn't have any impact when viewing topics of that type unless you reciprocate them by naming them - you can ignore them and they won't appear when viewing topics of that type. To answer your question about the order, they are displayed in reverse timestamp order - so the most recently added incoming links appear at the top.

Guide to Freebase Types: Instructions for setting up a compound value type are not clear!

2007-07-10T10:47:53.0007Z

I'm having problems: the suggested properties keep linking in where I don't want them to link. Does the order in which properties are listed make any difference to the suggestions which are made?

Guide to Freebase Types: Transforming a user type into a domain type

2007-07-08T20:23:23.0007Z

Hi Darin,

Thank you very much for your kind answer. I am happy to learn that this transformation is possible. It will surely motivate me to create types.

Guide to Freebase Types: Transforming a user type into a domain type

2007-07-05T21:11:26.0007Z

Hi Jean-Baptiste, and welcome!

It's definitely possible for private types to be promoted into the public type space - in fact, we're counting on it. :)

Once you've modeled your types, it's good idea to add some sample data as well - you often don't find the flaws in your data model until you try adding some real data. If you're planning on a large data load, you should let us know in advance so we can walk you through it. And it's always good to try things out on sandbox - it's wiped clean and re-initialized from the main site every Monday, so you always have the chance to start fresh.

Once you're happy with the types you've created, you should post a note in the discussion area of the domain you're interested in so the admins can take a look at your work (if the types you've made should go into a new domain, you can just post to a domain that's related to the one you're working on).

Feel free to post to related discussions if any questions come up about your model. Good luck - and have fun!

Guide to Freebase Types: Transforming a user type into a domain type

2007-07-05T20:38:12.0012Z

I've just been invited to Freebase and I am very impressed by the power of the system. I would be interested in creating some types, but not if they have to remain in my personal domain. Of course, I would agree to begin to create them in this personal domain, but I am wondering whether it will be possible to transfer my best types into a public domain ? Creating types can take a lot of time, so I prefer to know it will really be useful to the community before beginning this adventure.
Thank you very much in advance for your answers.

Guide to Freebase Types: Instructions for setting up a compound value type are not clear!

2007-07-02T22:59:18.0020Z

Thanks, Dan, for expanding so quickly the description of the steps to follow. I have now succeeded in setting up a Compound Value Type.

I have documented in even more detail the steps I followed for my own requirement, in the Description for robertm's Type 'Variable with Units'. This is for my own future reference, but may be of value to others starting off.

Guide to Freebase Types: Instructions for setting up a compound value type are not clear!

2007-07-02T21:39:04.0012Z

Robert, you make some good points. I've made some quick edits to this content, which I hope will help. This posting on the developer blog is also an important read. We'll continue to improve our help content. Thanks for the note.

Guide to Freebase Types: Instructions for setting up a compound value type are not clear!

2007-07-02T12:43:55.0012Z

By your own admission, " Setting up a compound value type is currently a bit complicated. " Yet you only give three steps for creating a compound value type, the third of which is not actually a step at all. Could we please have a fully-detailed listing of the steps involved, perhaps using the 'Performance' compound value type as an example.