RFC 2731 (rfc2731) - Page 2 of 23

Encoding Dublin Core Metadata in HTML

RFC 2731         Encoding Dublin Core Metadata in HTML     December 1999


   This document explains how to encode metadata using HTML 4.0
   [HTML4.0].  It is not concerned with element semantics, which are
   defined elsewhere.  For illustrative purposes, some element semantics
   are alluded to, but in no way should semantics appearing here be
   considered definitive.

   The HTML encoding allows elements of DC metadata to be interspersed
   with non-DC elements (provided such mixing is consistent with rules
   governing use of those non-DC elements).  A DC element is indicated
   by the prefix "DC", and a non-DC element by another prefix; for
   example, the prefix "AC" is used with elements from the A-Core [AC].

3. The META Tag

   The META tag of HTML is designed to encode a named metadata element.
   Each element describes a given aspect of a document or other
   information resource.  For example, this tagged metadata element,

       

   says that Homer Simpson is the Creator, where the element named
   Creator is defined in the DC element set.  In the more general form,

       

   the capitalized words are meant to be replaced in actual
   descriptions; thus in the example,

             ELEMENT_NAME   was:  Creator
             ELEMENT_VALUE  was:  Simpson, Homer
             and PREFIX     was:  DC

   Within a META tag the first letter of a Dublin Core element name is
   capitalized.  DC places no restriction on alphabetic case in an
   element value and any number of META tagged elements may appear
   together, in any order.  More than one DC element with the same name
   may appear, and each DC element is optional.  The next example is a
   book description with two authors, two titles, and no other metadata.

       

Kunze                        Informational