Getting Started with the Semantic Data Charter

From zero to self-describing data in minutes. Install the tools, run the demo, and start building.

What is SDC?

The Semantic Data Charter (SDC) is an open specification for building data that carries its own meaning, structure, and validation rules. Instead of relying on external documentation or tribal knowledge, SDC data is self-describing and deterministically validatable.

Open Specification

Built entirely on W3C, ISO, and IETF standards. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary formats.

Self-Describing Data

Every data instance carries its schema reference, semantic links, and validation constraints inline.

Embedded Semantics

RDF triples and OWL ontologies link every data element to domain-specific meaning. Machines understand the data, not just store it.

Deterministic Validation

XSD 1.1 schemas plus SHACL constraints produce the same validation result every time, on every platform. No ambiguity.

Install the Tools

The SDC toolchain is available via pip. Python 3.10+ required.

sdcvalidator

Validate SDC data instances against their schemas. Deterministic, standards-compliant validation using XSD 1.1 and SHACL.

pip install sdcvalidator

sdcgovernance

Governance tooling for SDC data models. Access control, audit trails, and compliance tagging aligned with HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST.

pip install sdcgovernance

Try the Demo

Raw Data to Knowledge Graph in 5 Minutes

The SDC Agents Demo walks you through transforming unstructured data into a validated, semantically linked knowledge graph using SDC tooling and local LLM agents.

View SDC_Agents_Demo on GitHub

Explore CordovaOS

CordovaOS is the runtime environment for SDC-native applications. It provides the infrastructure for deploying, validating, and managing SDC data models in production.

Read the Specification

The SDC4 Reference Model defines the complete type system, component architecture, and validation rules. It is the authoritative source for building SDC-compliant systems.