CR: XQuery 3.1: An XML Query Language

XQuery 3.1: An XML Query Language

https://www.w3.org/TR/2016/CR-xquery-31-20161213/

feedback due by: 2017-01-10

Abstract


XML is a versatile markup language, capable of labeling the information content of diverse data sources including structured and semi-structured documents, relational databases, and object repositories. A query language that uses the structure of XML intelligently can express queries across all these kinds of data, whether physically stored in XML or viewed as XML via middleware. This specification describes a query language called XQuery, which is designed to be broadly applicable across many types of XML data sources.

JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format that is widely used to exchange data on the web and to store data in databases. Many applications use JSON together with XML and HTML. XQuery 3.1 extends XQuery to support JSON as well as XML, adding maps and arrays to the data model and supporting them with new expressions in the language and new functions in [XQuery and XPath Functions and Operators 3.1]. A list of changes made since XQuery 3.1 can be found in K Change Log. These are the most important new features in XQuery 3.1: 3.11.1 Maps. 3.11.2 Arrays.

Status of the Document


This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at https://www.w3.org/TR/.

This document is governed by the 1 September 2015 W3C Process Document.

W3C publishes a Candidate Recommendation, as described in the Process Document, to indicate that the document is believed to be stable and to encourage implementation by the developer community.

This document was developed by the W3C XML Query Working Group, which is part of the XML Activity. It will remain a Candidate Recommendation until at least 10 January 2017. The Working Group expects to advance this specification to Recommendation Status.

This document will be considered ready for transition to Proposed Recommendation when there are two independent implementations of Minimal Conformance (see 5.1 Minimal Conformance) to this specification, at least one of them using the human-readable syntax and at least one of them using the XML syntax and there are two independent implementations of each optional feature (see 5.2 Optional Features) using either syntax. The implementations of each optional feature need not necessarily conform to the Minimal Conformance requirements.

Once the entrance criteria for Proposed Recommendation have been achieved, the Director will be requested to advance this document to Proposed Recommendation status. Working closely with the developer community, we expect to show evidence of implementations by approximately 10 January 2017.

This Candidate Recommendation specifies XQuery version 3.1, a fully compatible extension of XQuery version 3.0.

A Test Suite has been created for this document. Implementors are encouraged to run this test suite and report their results. The Test Suite can be found at https://dev.w3.org/2011/QT3-test-suite/. An implementation report is available.

This document is a revised Candidate Recommendation and incorporates changes made against the Candidate Recommendation of 17 December 2015 as a result of review feedback. Changes to this document since the previous Candidate Recommendation are detailed in K Change Log.

Please report errors in this document using W3C's public Bugzilla system (instructions can be found at https://www.w3.org/XML/2005/04/qt-bugzilla). If access to that system is not feasible, you may send your comments to the W3C XSLT/XPath/XQuery public comments mailing list, public-qt-comments@w3.org. It will be very helpful if you include the string “[XQuery31]” in the subject line of your report, whether made in Bugzilla or in email. Please use multiple Bugzilla entries (or, if necessary, multiple email messages) if you have more than one comment to make. Archives of the comments and responses are available at https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-qt-comments/.

Publication as a Candidate Recommendation does not imply endorsement by the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress.

This document was produced by a group operating under the 5 February 2004 W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group; that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.