WebODE is a workbench that includes a set of integrated tools supporting the design, development, and management of ontologies, and their integration into real-size applications. This paper offers an overview of WebODE.

The variety of tools provided is wide, and covers tasks ranging from editing and browsing to graphical design support, consistency checking, and evaluation. WebODE also supports the definition of first-order logic axioms (and production rules), which are parsed and translated first into Horn clauses, and then into Prolog. Translation services to and from a meaningful set of ontology languages are available as well.

This paper provides a clear introduction to the functions of WebODE, its logical organization, and its main implementation choices. More detail on the knowledge model behind the system, and a critical comparison with related proposals, would have been appreciated.