Saxon.Api

Class DocumentBuilder

Class DomDestination

Class DynamicContext

Class DynamicError

Class EmptyEnumerator

Class ExtensionFunctionCall

Class ExtensionFunctionDefinition

Class NullDestination

Class Processor

Class QName

Class SchemaManager

Class SchemaValidator

Class Serializer

Class StaticContext

Class StaticError

Class TextWriterDestination

Class XPathCompiler

Class XPathExecutable

Class XPathSelector

Class XQueryCompiler

Class XQueryEvaluator

Class XQueryExecutable

Class XdmAnyFunctionType

Class XdmAnyItemType

Class XdmAnyNodeType

Class XdmAtomicType

Class XdmAtomicValue

Class XdmDestination

Class XdmEmptySequence

Class XdmItem

Class XdmItemType

Class XdmNode

Class XdmNodeKind

Class XdmSequenceType

Class XdmValue

Class XmlDestination

Class XsltCompiler

Class XsltExecutable

Class XsltTransformer

Enum RecoveryPolicy

Enum SchemaValidationMode

Enum TreeModel

Enum WhitespacePolicy

Enum XdmAxis

Interface IMessageListener

Interface IQueryResolver

Interface IResultDocumentHandler

Interface IXdmEnumerator

Interface IXmlLocation

Interface SchemaResolver

 

Saxon.Api
Class XPathCompiler 

public class XPathCompiler
implements object

An XPathCompiler object allows XPath queries to be compiled. The compiler holds information that represents the static context for the expression.

To construct an XPathCompiler, use the factory method newXPathCompiler on the Processor object.

An XPathCompiler may be used repeatedly to compile multiple queries. Any changes made to the XPathCompiler (that is, to the static context) do not affect queries that have already been compiled. An XPathCompiler may be used concurrently in multiple threads, but it should not then be modified once initialized.

The XPathCompiler has the ability to maintain a cache of compiled expressions. This is active only if enabled by setting the Caching property. If caching is enabled, then the compiler will recognize an attempt to compile the same expression twice, and will avoid the cost of recompiling it. The cache is emptied by any method that changes the static context for subsequent expressions, for example, by setting the BaseUri property. Unless the cache is emptied, it grows indefinitely: compiled expressions are never discarded.

Property Summary
 Boolean AllowUndeclaredVariables

This property indicates whether the XPath expression may contain references to variables that have not been explicitly declared by calling DeclareVariable. The property is false by default (that is, variables must be declared).

 XdmItemType ContextItemType

The required context item type for the expression. This is used for optimizing the expression at compile time, and to check at run-time that the value supplied for the context item is the correct type.

 String BaseUri

The base URI of the expression, which forms part of the static context of the expression. This is used for resolving any relative URIs appearing within the expression, for example in references to library modules, schema locations, or as an argument to the doc() function.

 Boolean BackwardsCompatible

XPath 1.0 Backwards Compatibility Mode. If true, backwards compatibility mode is set. In backwards compatibility mode, more implicit type conversions are allowed in XPath expressions, for example it is possible to compare a number with a string. The default is false (backwards compatibility mode is off).

 Boolean Caching

XPath 1.0 Backwards Compatibility Mode. If true, backwards compatibility mode is set. In backwards compatibility mode, more implicit type conversions are allowed in XPath expressions, for example it is possible to compare a number with a string. The default is false (backwards compatibility mode is off).

 
Method Summary
 void DeclareNamespace(string prefix, string uri)

Declare a namespace for use by the XPath expression.

 void ImportSchemaNamespace(string uri)

Import schema definitions for a specified namespace. That is, add the element and attribute declarations and type definitions contained in a given namespace to the static context for the XPath expression.

 void DeclareVariable(QName name)

Declare a variable for use by the XPath expression. If the expression refers to any variables, then they must be declared here, unless the AllowUndeclaredVariables property has been set to true.

 XPathExecutable Compile(string source)

Compile an expression supplied as a String.

 XdmValue Evaluate(string expression, XdmItem contextItem)

Compile and execute an expression supplied as a String, with a given context item.

 XdmItem EvaluateSingle(string expression, XdmItem contextItem)

Compile and execute an expression supplied as a String, with a given context item, where the expression is expected to return a single item as its result

 
Property Detail

AllowUndeclaredVariables

public Boolean AllowUndeclaredVariables {get; set; }

This property indicates whether the XPath expression may contain references to variables that have not been explicitly declared by calling DeclareVariable. The property is false by default (that is, variables must be declared).

If undeclared variables are permitted, then it is possible to determine after compiling the expression which variables it refers to by calling the method EnumerateExternalVariables on the XPathExecutable object.

ContextItemType

public XdmItemType ContextItemType {get; set; }

The required context item type for the expression. This is used for optimizing the expression at compile time, and to check at run-time that the value supplied for the context item is the correct type.

BaseUri

public String BaseUri {get; set; }

The base URI of the expression, which forms part of the static context of the expression. This is used for resolving any relative URIs appearing within the expression, for example in references to library modules, schema locations, or as an argument to the doc() function.

BackwardsCompatible

public Boolean BackwardsCompatible {get; set; }

XPath 1.0 Backwards Compatibility Mode. If true, backwards compatibility mode is set. In backwards compatibility mode, more implicit type conversions are allowed in XPath expressions, for example it is possible to compare a number with a string. The default is false (backwards compatibility mode is off).

Caching

public Boolean Caching {get; set; }

XPath 1.0 Backwards Compatibility Mode. If true, backwards compatibility mode is set. In backwards compatibility mode, more implicit type conversions are allowed in XPath expressions, for example it is possible to compare a number with a string. The default is false (backwards compatibility mode is off).

Method Detail

DeclareNamespace

public void DeclareNamespace(string prefix,
                        string uri)

Declare a namespace for use by the XPath expression.

Parameters:
prefix -
The namespace prefix to be declared. Use a zero-length string to declare the default namespace (that is, the default namespace for elements and types).
uri -
The namespace URI. It is possible to specify a zero-length string to "undeclare" a namespace.

ImportSchemaNamespace

public void ImportSchemaNamespace(string uri)

Import schema definitions for a specified namespace. That is, add the element and attribute declarations and type definitions contained in a given namespace to the static context for the XPath expression.

This method will not cause the schema to be loaded. That must be done separately, using the SchemaManager}. This method will not fail if the schema has not been loaded (but in that case the set of declarations and definitions made available to the XPath expression is empty). The schema document for the specified namespace may be loaded before or after this method is called.

This method does not bind a prefix to the namespace. That must be done separately, using the declareNamespace method.

Parameters:
uri -
The namespace URI whose declarations and type definitions are to be made available for use within the XPath expression.

DeclareVariable

public void DeclareVariable(QName name)

Declare a variable for use by the XPath expression. If the expression refers to any variables, then they must be declared here, unless the AllowUndeclaredVariables property has been set to true.

Parameters:
name -
The name of the variable, as a QName

Compile

public XPathExecutable Compile(string source)

Compile an expression supplied as a String.

Parameters:
source -
A string containing the source text of the XPath expression
returns
An XPathExecutable which represents the compiled xpath expression object. The XPathExecutable may be run as many times as required, in the same or a different thread. The XPathExecutable is not affected by any changes made to the XPathCompiler once it has been compiled.

Evaluate

public XdmValue Evaluate(string expression,
                XdmItem contextItem)

Compile and execute an expression supplied as a String, with a given context item.

Parameters:
expression -
A string containing the source text of the XPath expression
contextItem -
The context item to be used for evaluation of the XPath expression. May be null, in which case the expression is evaluated without any context item.
returns
An XdmValue which is the result of evaluating the XPath expression.

EvaluateSingle

public XdmItem EvaluateSingle(string expression,
                      XdmItem contextItem)

Compile and execute an expression supplied as a String, with a given context item, where the expression is expected to return a single item as its result

Parameters:
expression -
A string containing the source text of the XPath expression
contextItem -
The context item to be used for evaluation of the XPath expression. May be null, in which case the expression is evaluated without any context item.
returns
If the XPath expression returns a singleton, then the the XdmItem which is the result of evaluating the XPath expression. If the expression returns an empty sequence, then null. If the expression returns a sequence containing more than one item, then the first item in the result.