[xml-dev] TransQuery - XSLT as Query Language

[Evan Lenz <elenz@xyzfind.com>]

TransQuery comprises a small, flexible set of XSLT conventions and
processing model constraints that enable the use of XSLT as a query language
over multiple XML documents. It is an interoperability specification for XML
databases, allowing them to use a standard XML query language today--the
W3C-recommended XSLT. To learn more, see http://transquery.org.

Related resources:

The TransQuery Specification. Excerpt: "Though XSLT is principally oriented
toward transformation of a single source document, it has built-in
mechanisms for accessing multiple source documents. It is the purpose of
TransQuery to reconcile and harmonize the single-source view with a
multiple-source view, using existing standard constructs in XSLT 1.0."
http://transquery.org/specification

The TransQuery FAQ provides an informal introduction to TransQuery and its
reasons for being, answering questions such as "Is TransQuery meant to
replace XQuery?":
http://transquery.org/faq

The TransQuery Demo, hosted by XYZFind Corp., includes XSLT solutions to the
W3C XML Query Use Cases. This demo is powered by software developed as a
part of the TransQuery SourceForge Project (see below), which currently uses
the XSLT processor Saxon. It is meant to demonstrate the usefulness of XSLT
as a query language, particularly when coupled with the conventions
specified by TransQuery. The demo includes 90 sample queries, which provide
solutions and alternate solutions to 76 of the 78 use cases in the W3C XML
Query Use Cases document[1]. An optional query-by-query commentary is
included, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of XSLT as a query
language, as well as how those weaknesses might be addressed in a future
version of XSLT.
http://www.xyzfind.com/transquery

The TransQuery SourceForge project hosts a prototype server implementation
of the TransQuery processing model, using the Saxon XSLT processor:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/transquery

Questions? Comments?

Evan Lenz
XYZFind Corp.
http://www.xyzfind.com

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/WD-xmlquery-use-cases-20010608