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The W3C's XQuery language standard is a catalyst for dramatic changes in database management; it will let businesses evolve relational systems to access, analyze and manage a wider range of data and information. Sponsors of the W3C's XQuery include DataDirect Technologies (a division of Progress Software), IBM, Microsoft and Oracle. Information architects must make careful choices about how to deploy XQuery and when to adopt XML schemas so that existing relational systems are not thrown into chaos. And while XQuery is still immature, it should have a major impact on gaining value from XML data.

The W3C's Xquery 1.0 moved to Proposed Recommendation status in November, bringing the prospect of a SQL-like approach to XML data querying one step closer to official sanction.

As happens with evolving standards, support for XQuery is making its way into mainstream products. IBM's DB2 version 9, for example, implements XQuery as part of its hybrid server. And Oracle gives database developers a choice of embedding XML inside SQL queries or employing the XQuery standard. Such developments represent an important change in the potential value of XML data.

XQuery essentially enables relational vendors to bring XML processing deeper into their database engines. The relational DBMS can then build XML indexes for optimizers to use, so the system can perform queries against XML data with the same efficiency as SQL. XQuery is also important for tiered architectures; database and middleware vendors can employ XQuery to access XML or SQL data from multiple, heterogeneous sources.

But XQuery is immature; it offers read-only access to XML data, though updating and other functions will be added later. And XQuery is not at all ready to support analytics and BI (business intelligence), unlike SQL.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Companies are starting to use XQuery when they need to create XML dynamically for SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) messages, dynamic Web sites, database publishing and report generation. DataDirect Technologies, for instance, says one of its customers is using DataDirect's XQuery driver to integrate customer data from Salesforce.com and an Oracle database to create proposals in Adobe's PDF format. Another customer is using the company's XQuery driver to query very large XML files.

IBM has been very visible in the XQuery market. IBM Fellow Don Chamberlin, who designed the original SQL language, was a co-designer (with DataDirect's Jonathan Robie and Oracle's Daniela Florescu) of "Quilt," the precursor to XQuery. IBM's XML support has evolved from a simple data-type extender to stored procedures and other functions for processing XML in message queues. And DB2 9's "pureXML" initiative brings XQuery functionality to IBM's DB2 Developer Workbench; for example, Visual XQuery Builder is a design tool that enables developers to create and execute XML queries using wizards.

Oracle has been on a path similar to IBM's. The company was the first major vendor to offer native XML data storage (in the 9i release in 2001); it has been developing XML DB technology (a feature within the current 10g release) since then. To access XML data stored in an Oracle database, developers have a choice of embedding XML inside SQL queries or employing the XQuery standard. Oracle supports "shredding" (or decomposing) XML data into a relational table structure, as well as a more document-centric paradigm in which the structure of the document (such as a contract) is preserved.

Microsoft's SQL Server supports some forms of XML processing, and the company plans to increase XQuery support over the next two releases. Its XQuery support is not as advanced as IBM's or Oracle's, but Microsoft also has more work to do in terms of implementing XQuery and XML support throughout its Windows platform. In 2007, organizations should watch Office 2007's Open XML Formats as they evolve to support XQuery on the front end.

Smaller companies have come to the fore with XQuery support as well. Mark Logic, for example, is a leading pure-play XML database vendor. The company was quick to implement XQuery in its MarkLogic Server, which allows efficient querying of data.

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RELATED LINKS Oracle's 10g Database Upgrade Web Services Specs and Standards SpeechSC and MRCPv2 Surviving '07: App Infrastructure	AROUND THE WEB World Wide Web Consortium XQuery 1.0: An XML Query Language XQuery XQuery Tools

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