Optimization of XPath expressions for evaluation upon streaming XML data

• US 20050257201A1
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Geneves, Pierre, Rose, Kristoffer H.
• Application Number:
  US10/847,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257201A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

A method, information processing system and computer readable medium for processing a full XPath expression for evaluation over streaming XML data is disclosed. The method includes transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in a reduced XPath language and transforming context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information. The method further includes transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information, wherein an evaluation of the equivalent XPath expression over streaming XML data is facilitated.

Claims

1. A method for processing a full XPath expression for evaluation over streaming XML data, the method comprising:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in a reduced XPath language;

transforming context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information; and

transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of transforming the full XPath expression comprises:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in any one of Restricted XPaths—

Rxp, STX and SXPath.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of transforming the full XPath expression comprises:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in the XPath core language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the element of transforming context position information further comprises:

replacing all references to an “

at”

binder in the equivalent XPath expression with an explicit “

let”

binding to a computation of an index.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of transforming context position information further comprises:

evaluating a derivor upon the equivalent XPath expression.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of transforming reverse axis information further comprises:

calculating a path reaching a context node using a forward axis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the element of transforming reverse axis information further comprises:

evaluating a derivor upon the equivalent XPath expression.

8. An information processing system for processing a full XPath expression for evaluation over streaming XML data, comprising:

a memory for storing the full XPath expression; and

a processor configured to

transform the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in a reduced XPath language;

transform context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information; and

transform reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information.

9. The information processing system of claim 8, further wherein the processor is configured by storing in memory instructions for:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in a reduced XPath language;

transforming context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information; and

transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information.

10. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the memory comprises a read-only memory.

11. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the memory comprises a random-access memory.

12. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises an application specific integrated circuit.

13. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the equivalent XPath expression is written in any one of the XPath core language, Restricted XPaths—

Rxp, STX and SXPath.

14. The information processing system of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory for storing a derivor for transforming context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information.

15. The information processing system of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory for storing a derivor for transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information.

16. A computer readable medium comprising a computer program product for processing a full XPath expression for evaluation over streaming XML data, the computer program product including instructions for:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in a reduced XPath language;

transforming context position information in the equivalent XPath expression into an expression for computing the context position information; and

transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent XPath expression into forward axis information.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for transforming the full XPath expression comprise instructions for:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in any one of Restricted XPaths—

Rxp, STX and SXPath.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for transforming the full XPath expression comprise instructions for:

transforming the full XPath expression into an equivalent XPath expression written in the XPath core language.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions for transforming context position information further comprise instructions for:

replacing all references to an “

at”

binder in the equivalent XPath expression with an explicit “

let”

binding to a computation of an index.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for transforming context position information further comprise instructions for:

evaluating a derivor upon the equivalent XPath expression.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for transforming reverse axis information further comprise instructions for:

calculating a path reaching a context node using a forward axis.

22. A method for processing an expression for evaluation over streaming XML data, the method comprising:

transforming the expression into an equivalent expression written in a reduced language;

transforming context position information in the equivalent expression into an expression for computing the context position information; and

transforming reverse axis information in the equivalent expression into forward axis information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the expression is written in any one of the XPath language and a language that allows access to and navigation in XML or similar tree-structured data based on relative and absolute positions and navigation.