Defining your own Functions in XQuery

[ANNOUNCE] Hello Everyone,
Stylus Studio has just released a new XQuery tutorial entitled:
Defining your own Functions in XQuery. This tutorial allows developers
to learn how to leverage powerful XQuery functions. "Defining your own
Functions in XQuery" was written by, Dr. Michael Kay, founder of
Saxonica. You can read the tutorial online at:
http://www.stylusstudio.com/xquery/..._functions.html
This new tutorial "Defining your own Functions in XQuery" covers the
following topics:
=B7 A simple XQuery function example
=B7 The function name
=B7 XQuery Function arguments
=B7 The result type
=B7 The function body
=B7 Modules and Schemas
=B7 Documenting XQuery functions
=B7 Using Functions to Mask Schema Complexity =B7 Writing Recursive
Queries
You can download a free trial of Stylus Studio at:
http://www.stylusstudio.com/xml_download.html
Sincerely,
The Stylus Studio Team
http://www.stylusstudio.comWow, somebody at Stylus Studio must really be excitied about this becuase,
in their zeal to tell about it, they've missed on rather important point
about XQuery in SQL Server 2005.
It doesn't support under defined functions.
Honestly, you'd think a vendor with a decent product like Stylus Studio is
would do a minimum amount of fact checking before hand.
Ugh,
Kent Tegels
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ktegels/

Defining your own Functions in XQuery

Hi Kent,
The Stylus team is right here - but maybe just a little more detail
will help.
DataDirect XQuery supports user-defined functions, and it works with
Microsoft SQL Server. Since Stylus uses the DataDirect XQuery
implementation to connect to databases from many vendors, the
limitations of the Microsoft XQuery implementation do not affect us.
Also, there are a *lot* of things that Microsoft SQL Server does not
support in XQuery. Our tutorials, like most XQuery tutorials, show let
clauses in FLWOR expressions, even though SQL Server does not support
it. The article you comment on is about XQuery, not about the
limitations of the Microsoft implementation, and there *are*
full-featured implementations of XQuery that work efficiently with
Microsoft databases.
JonathanHello jonathan.robie@.gmail.com,

> The Stylus team is right here - but maybe just a little more detail
> will help.
Sure, they are right that 3rd party products do support such features. But
they aren't helpful if and when they give users false expectations about
what SQL Server 2005 does natively. I don't think its so much to ask them
to help the community understand when they do postings like this, where that
technology and what SQL Server supports diverge.

> DataDirect XQuery supports user-defined functions, and it works with
> Microsoft SQL Server. Since Stylus uses the DataDirect XQuery
> implementation to connect to databases from many vendors, the
> limitations of the Microsoft XQuery implementation do not affect us.
Frankly, I'm glad a product like yours is on the market and I've long apprec
iated
the fact that Data Direct has refrained from this kind of "edu-adversting"
in this particular newsgroup so as to not muddy the waters. Well, until now,
but hey, I guess I encouraged you to say something at least. :)

> Also, there are a *lot* of things that Microsoft SQL Server does not
> support in XQuery. Our tutorials, like most XQuery tutorials, show let
> clauses in FLWOR expressions, even though SQL Server does not support
> it. The article you comment on is about XQuery, not about the
> limitations of the Microsoft implementation, and there *are*
> full-featured implementations of XQuery that work efficiently with
> Microsoft databases.
*Lot* sometimes feels like an understatement. And again, I don't have a prob
lem
with tutorials that XQuery specific. But what I do take exception to is simp
ly
dumping thinly veiled ads in this group, getting folks excited about somethi
ng
and then not being around to clean up the mess when that goes splat. Believi
ng
that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a ton of cure, is it really
asking too much for the Stylus Studio folks to help see good expecations
at the outset?
I'd hope not.
Thanks!
Kent Tegels
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ktegels/