Knowledge extraction from web-based application source code: An approach to database reverse engineering for ontology development

This paper presents a novel approach for extracting knowledge from web-based application source code in supplementing and assisting ontology development from database schemas. The structure of web-based application source code is defined in order to distinguish different kinds of knowledge within the source code for ontology development. The connections between the relevant parts of web application source code and the backend database schema with their various forms are explicitly specified in detail. A knowledge processing and integration model for extracting and integrating the knowledge embedded in the source code for ontology development is then proposed.