A SQL: 1999 code generator for the pathfinder xquery compiler

The Pathfinder XQuery compiler has been enhanced by a new code generator that can target any SQL:1999-compliant relational database system (RDBMS). This code generator marks an important next step towards truly relational XQuery processing, a branch of database technology that aims to turn RDBMSs into highly efficient XML and XQuery processors without the need to invade the relational database kernel. Pathfinder, a retargetable front-end compiler, translates input XQuery expressions into DAG-shaped relational algebra plans. The code generator then turns these plans into sequences of either SQL:1999 statements or view definitions which jointly implement the (sometimes intricate) XQuery semantics. In a sense, this demonstration thus lets relational algebra and SQL swap their traditional roles in database query processing. The result is a code generator that (1) supports an almost complete dialect of XQuery, (2) can target any RDBMS with a SQL:1999 language interface, and (3) exhibits qu...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: SIGMOD
• Authors: Torsten Grust, Manuel Mayr, Jan Rittinger, Sherif Sakr, Jens Teubner
• Keywords: Database, Input Xquery Expressions, Pathfinder XQuery Compiler, Relational Xquery, SIGMOD 2007