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XPath Builder View

The XPath/XQuery Builder view allows you to compose complex XPath expressions and execute them over the currently edited XML document. For XPath 2.0 / 3.1, you can use the doc() function to specify the source file that will have the expressions executed. When you connect to a database, the expressions are executed over that database. If you are using the XPath/XQuery Builder view and the current file is an XSLT document, Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin executes the expressions over the XML document in the associated scenario.
Note: If an XPath expression is run over a JSON document, it is converted to XML and the XPath is executed over the converted XML document.

If the view is not displayed, it can be opened by selecting it from the Window > Show View menu.

The upper part of the view contains the following actions:
XPath version chooser drop-down menu
A drop-down menu that allows you to select the type of the expression you want to execute. You can choose between:
  • XPath 1.0 (Xerces-driven)
  • XPath 2.0, XPath 2.0 SA, XPath 3.1, XPath 3.1 SA, Saxon-HE XQuery, Saxon-PE XQuery, or Saxon-EE XQuery (all of them are Saxon-driven)
  • Custom connection to XML databases that can execute XQuery expressions
    Note: The results returned by XPath 2.0 SA and XPath 3.1 SA have a location limited to the line number of the start element (there are no column information and no end specified).
    Note: Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin uses Saxon to execute XPath 3.1 expressions. Since Saxon implements a part of the 3.1 functions, when using a function that is not implemented, Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin returns a compilation error.
Execute XPath button
Use this button to start the execution of the XPath or XQuery expression you are editing. The result of the execution is displayed in the Results view view.
Favorites button
Allows you to save certain expressions that you can later reuse. To add an expression as a favorite, click this button and enter a name for it. The star turns yellow to confirm that the expression was saved. Expand the drop-down menu next to the star button to see all your favorites. Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin automatically groups favorites in folders named after the method of execution.
History drop-down menu
Keeps a list of the last 15 executed XPath expressions. Use the Clear history action from the bottom of the list to remove them.
Settings drop-down menu

Contains the following three options:

Update on cursor move
When selected and you navigate through a document, the XPath expression corresponding to the XML node at the current cursor position is displayed. For JSON documents, it displays the XPath expression for the current property.
Evaluate as you type
When you select this option, the XPath expression you are composing is evaluated in real time.
Note: This option and the automatic validation are disabled when the scope is other than Current file.
Options
Opens the Preferences page of the currently selected processing engine.
XPath scope menu
Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin allows you to define a scope for the XPath operation to be executed. You can choose where the XPath expression will be executed:
  • Current file - Currently selected file only.
  • Enclosing project - All the files of the project that encloses the currently edited file.
  • Workspace selected files - The files selected in the workspace. The files are collected from the last selected resource provider view (Project Explorer or Package Explorer).
  • All opened files - All files that are opened in the application.
  • Opened archive - Files that are opened in the Archive Browser view.
  • Working sets - The selected working sets.
At the bottom of the scope menu the following scope configuration actions are available:
  • Configure XPath working sets - Allows you to configure and manage collections of files and folders, encapsulated in logical containers called working sets.
  • XPath file filter - You can filter the files from the selected scope that will have the XPath expression executed. By default, the XPath expression will be executed only on XML or JSON files, but you can also define a set of patterns that will filter out files from the current scope.

Figure 1. XPath/XQuery Builder View

When you hover your cursor over the version icon , a tooltip is displayed to let you know what engine Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin currently uses.

While you edit an XPath or XQuery expression, Oxygen XML Developer Eclipse plugin assists you with the following features:
  • Content Completion Assistant - It offers context-dependent proposals and takes into account the cursor position in the document you are editing. The set of functions proposed by the Content Completion Assistant also depends on the engine version. Select the engine version from the drop-down menu available in the toolbar.
  • Syntax Highlighting - Allows you to identify the components of an expression. To customize the colors of the components of the expression, open the Preferences dialog box and go to Editor > Syntax Highlight.
  • Automatic validation of the expression as you type.
    Note: When you type invalid syntax, a red serrated line underlines the invalid fragments.
  • Function signature and documentation balloon, when the cursor is located inside a function.