Comparison of two XML query languages from the perspective of learners

Two XML query languages were tested for intuitivity, learnability and memorability. The languages differ with relation to the query structures like the use of variables, iterators and reference to attributes. One of the languages, XQuery, is a procedural, expressive and data-oriented query language that is suitable even for programming purposes; the other, XIL, is more declarative, document-oriented query language with a simpler syntax. A query-writing test with the learners of the languages was executed. The study indicates that, in the query writing, the more procedural query language yields a greater number of correct queries. Similarity between the tested languages, and to SQL, is discussed from the point of view of learnability.

[1]  T. Landauer,et al.  Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction , 1997 .

[2]  Levent V. Orman.  Complexity of database languages , 1991, Inf. Syst..

[3]  Frank Wm. Tompa,et al.  Communicating with XML , 2011 .

[4]  David Carmel,et al.  Searching XML documents via XML fragments , 2003, SIGIR.

[5]  Bonnie A. Nardi,et al.  A Small Matter of Programming: Perspectives on End User Computing , 1993 .

[6]  Michael Gertz,et al.  Integrating document and data retrieval based on XML , 2004, The VLDB Journal.

[7]  Maurice H. Halstead,et al.  Elements of software science , 1977 .

[8]  Tim Kraska,et al.  XQuery Reloaded , 2009, Proc. VLDB Endow..

[9]  Scott Boag,et al.  XQuery 1.0 : An XML Query Language , 2007 .

[10]  Daniela Florescu,et al.  Quilt: An XML Query Language for Heterogeneous Data Sources , 2000, WebDB.

[11]  Phyllis Reisner,et al.  Human Factors Studies of Database Query Languages: A Survey and Assessment , 1981, CSUR.

[12]  Ramez Elmasri,et al.  Fundamentals of Database Systems , 1989 .

[13]  Rainer Manthey,et al.  Declarative Languages - Paradigm of the Past or Challenge of the Future? , 1990, East/West Database Workshop.

[14]  Hock Chuan Chan,et al.  The relationship between user query accuracy and lines of code , 1999, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[15]  Stephan Kepser,et al.  A Simple Proof for the Turing-Completeness of XSLT and XQuery , 2004, Extreme Markup Languages®.

[16]  J.P.M. Graaumans.  A Collection of XML documents and Query Tasks , 2005 .

[17]  Gerald M. Weinberg,et al.  Psychology of computer programming , 1971 .

[18]  David W. Stemple,et al.  Human factors comparison of a procedural and a nonprocedural query language , 1981, TODS.

[19]  Nesime Tatbul,et al.  Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment , 2011 .

[20]  Elliot Soloway.  Kill two birds with one stone: Teach procedural query languages , 1982 .

[21]  Phyllis Reisner.  Chapter 12 – Query Languages1 , 1988 .

[22]  Donald D. Chamberlin,et al.  Human factors evaluation of two data base query languages: square and sequel , 1975, AFIPS '75.

[23]  Norbert Fuhr,et al.  XIRQL: An XML query language based on information retrieval concepts , 2004, TOIS.

[24]  Keng Siau,et al.  The effect of data model, system and task characteristics on user query performance: an empirical study , 1997, DATB.

[25]  Klara A. Weiand.  Keyword-based querying for the social semantic web: the KWQL language: concept, algorithm and system , 2011 .

[26]  Joris Petrus Maria Graaumans,et al.  Usability of XML Query Languages , 2001 .

[27]  Venkataraman Ramesh,et al.  Designing Document SQL (DSQL): An Accessible yet Comprehensive Ad-Hoc Querying Frontend for Query , 2009, J. Database Manag..

[28]  Richard W. Scamell,et al.  A Human Factors Experimental Comparison of SQL and QBE , 1993, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[29]  Steven DeRose.  Navigation, Access, and Control Using Structured Information , 2009 .

[30]  Philip Wadler,et al.  XQuery from the Experts: A Guide to the W3C XML Query Language , 2003 .