fn:serialize

This function serializes the supplied input sequence $arg, returning the serialized representation of the sequence as a string.

serialize($arg as item()*) ➔ xs:string

Arguments
	$arg	item()*	The input (typically a document or element node) to be serialized
Result		xs:string

serialize($arg as item()*, $params as item()?) ➔ xs:string

Arguments
	$arg	item()*	The input (typically a document or element node) to be serialized
	$params	item()?	Serialization parameters
Result		xs:string

Namespace

http://www.w3.org/2005/xpath-functions

Links to W3C specifications

XPath 3.1 Functions and Operators

Notes on the Saxon implementation

Since XPath 3.1 (implemented in Saxon 9.7), the serialization parameters may be supplied as a map, or as an output:serialization-parameters element; see the specification for details. See xsl:output for more information on serialization parameters.

The function is available since Saxon 9.3, provided XPath 3.0 is enabled. It replaces the Saxon extension function saxon:serialize. Saxon 9.3 and Saxon 9.4 implemented the 2009 version of the specification, in which the serialization parameters were supplied without a wrapper element: see here. In Saxon 9.5 the implementation was changed to match the 2011 version of the serialization specification.