reqvire-ontology-authoring

Reqvire Ontology Authoring

Author Reqvire structural ontology content as reusable OWL/RDFS building blocks for system-of-interest models, not implementation detail. Reqvire managed-project ontologies are primarily for IT engineering, systems engineering, MBSE, architecture, interfaces, verification, operations, and other system model concerns. Keep curated conceptual vocabulary in native concept-scheme and concept elements using reqvire-concept-authoring; keep this skill focused on OWL classes, properties, individuals, axioms, SHACL target vocabulary, and structural-to-concept bridges. Use requirements for obligations; use semantic-contract elements for reusable SHACL profiles that explicitly use ontology and constrain requirements.

Use reqvire-syseng instead when the main change is to capabilities, requirements, specifications, verification elements, evidence, coverage, change-impact workflows, or broader model refactoring. This skill may update semantic contracts and ontology links that constrain those elements, but should not replace the system-engineering workflow for changing their behavior.

Reqvire Operations for Ontology Authoring

Use Reqvire as the source-of-truth runtime when authoring or changing OWL/RDFS ontology elements and SHACL semantic contracts.

• Work from the intended effective workspace root unless the user gives a different workspace; the workspace must contain at least one eligible Git worktree.
• Default CLI form: npx -y "${REQVIRE_NPX_PACKAGE:-@reqvire-org/reqvire@latest}" --workspace "$PWD" <command>.
• Inside the Reqvire source repository, cargo run -- <command> is also acceptable when the local binary is the intended target.
• Inspect authored ontology content with search --filter-type ontology --json, search --filter-type semantic-contract --json, model --filter-type ontology --json, semantic export --layer ontologies, semantic export --layer shapes, and semantic export --layer model.
• Use semantic export --layer ontologies --layer external-used or semantic export --layer model --layer external-used only when the used subset of local external ontology dependencies must be materialized.
• Prefer Reqvire CLI mutation commands for broad structural edits when available, such as add, link, relink, mv, mv-file, mv-folder, rm, and rename-element.
• Manual Markdown edits are valid for focused authoring. Preserve # Elements, ### Element Name, #### Metadata, and Reqvire relation list syntax.
• Author ontology elements with type: ontology, ontology_base, ontology_prefix, and #### Ontology; authored Turtle must declare the prefixes it uses.
• Author semantic contracts with type: semantic-contract and #### Shapes; link contracts to ontology elements with use / usedBy and to governed model elements with constrain / constrainedBy.
• Do not add #### Concept References to semantic contracts. Use SHACL shapes for closed-world validation and ontology Turtle for structural terms.
• Relation syntax is * relationName: [Target Element](path.md#target-element).
• Use ontology derivedFrom / derive for ontology hierarchy and document composition. Use reqvire:mapsToConcept in Turtle only when a structural term intentionally maps to a generated native SKOS concept.
• Do not edit generated exports as the source of truth; edit authored Markdown elements and regenerate/export through Reqvire.
• When changing ontology identity, check dependent semantic contracts, requirements constrained by shapes, concept bridges, Explorer ontology/thesaurus data, MCP semantic tools, and tests that assert exported Turtle.
• When validation is part of the task, run focused checks such as validate, semantic export --layer ontologies, semantic export --layer shapes, semantic export --layer model, and any affected fixture tests before finishing.