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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This page addresses common questions about the Base Product Specification (BPS).

❓ What is BPS?​

BPS is a base meta-model for describing products of many kinds (data, AI, software, physical).
It defines the core concepts — Product, Product Version, Purpose, Classification, Certification, Health — that domain-specific specifications (e.g., DPDS/DPROD for data products) can extend.

❓ Why do we need BPS if DPDS or AIPDS already exist?​

Domain-specific specs like DPDS or AIPDS are specialized.
BPS provides a common foundation so that:

  • All product types share a consistent structure.
  • Cross-domain tooling (catalogs, validators, knowledge graphs) can understand them uniformly.
  • Conformance to BPS ensures interoperability across domains.

❓ What formats are supported?​

BPS artifacts are published in multiple bindings:

  • Canonical Semantic Binding → RDF/OWL (Turtle)
  • Validation Binding → SHACL Shapes (Turtle)
  • Practical Developer Bindings → JSON-LD Context, JSON Schema
  • Human-readable Guide → Markdown (serialization.md)

👉 See Specification Downloads for links.

❓ How should I reference BPS in my own specification?​

Use the namespace:

https://kivanura.org/spec/bps/0.1/

When declaring conformance in RDF/OWL or JSON-LD, use dct:conformsTo with the versioned URI of the relevant spec (e.g., DPDS 1.0.0).

❓ What versioning scheme does BPS use?​

  • Semantic Versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
  • MAJOR = breaking changes
  • MINOR = backward-compatible extensions
  • PATCH = non-breaking fixes

Example: 0.1 is the first draft.
Future stable release will be 1.0.0.

❓ Where do I find the changelog?​

Every release is logged in CHANGELOG.md.
Governance approvals are tracked in governance.md.

❓ Who governs BPS?​

BPS is governed under the KaizenX framework, with roles defined in governance.md:

  • Chief Editor — ensures consistency and sign-off.
  • Outreach & Adoption Lead — coordinates with external communities.
  • Contributors & Reviewers — provide draft updates and domain feedback.

❓ How do I propose changes or extensions?​

  • Open an issue or PR in the BPS GitHub repository.
  • Proposals are reviewed under the governance process.
  • Approved changes are released in the next version (minor or major).

❓ Can I extend BPS for my own domain?​

Yes ✅.
Domain profiles (e.g., DPDS, AIPDS, SWPDS) can:

  • Add new fields and constraints.
  • Reuse BPS core terms.
  • Must not override or redefine BPS core semantics.

❓ How stable is v0.1?​

  • v0.1 is a DRAFT release.
  • Terms and structures may change before 1.0.0 stable.
  • Users are encouraged to experiment and provide feedback.

❓ Will BPS artifacts always be available?​

Yes. All released versions are archived under:

https://bps.kivanura.org/spec/bps/<version>/

/latest/ will always point to the most recent stable release.
Each release will also be archived with a DOI for permanence.