[Developers] Casting ISBN-10 to ISBN-13

[Richard Newman]

> Since the code to do ISBN-10 to ISBN-13 conversion (and vice-versa) is
> relatively straightforward, doesn't it make more sense to have a
> single standardized field that we can rely on?  For instance, it I
> could a very simple ACRE app that would do the necessary conversion to
> do the proper freebase lookup.

So long as it's documented that Freebase applications must convert 10- 
digit ISBNs into 13-digit ones when they query, then go right ahead.

I'm simply concerned that I'll paste a 10-digit ISBN into the Freebase  
search field and not find anything, because that literal isn't present  
in the graph. It's feasible to expect *application developers* to do  
ISBN-13 translation (though even they will forget), but not your  
average user.

The ontological point (that this book has a 10-digit ISBN, not a 13- 
digit ISBN, regardless of a mapping between the two defined years  
after the book was published) remains.

-R