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MarkLogic Development in Oxygen XML Editor

The Oxygen XML Editor support for MarkLogic includes features designed for developers, such as debugging XQuery transformations, remote and collaborative debugging, XQuery editing and validation, and an XQuery builder that helps to improve productivity.

Working with XQuery Files

MarkLogic supports working with XQuery files to create queries over stored XML content. You can open an XQuery file, configure a transformation scenario to match your MarkLogic connection, write the XQuery, and then execute it.

When editing XQuery modules stored on the MarkLogic server, the Outline view collects and displays all the functions from all imported modules. The Content Completion Assistant also presents all of these functions along with the latest built-in XQuery functions in accordance with the server version.

When developing queries for MarkLogic, it is best to open the resources from the Data Source Explorer view. When you execute or debug XQuery files opened from this view, imported modules can be resolved better by the MarkLogic server. Another advantage is that validation is automatically performed on the MarkLogic server, including any imported modules.

XQuery Debugging

Oxygen XML Editor allows you to use MarkLogic connections to debug real applications that use XQuery (for example, web applications that trigger XQuery executions). By setting the server in debug mode, you can intercept all the XQuery scripts that run on that server. Oxygen XML Editor connects to the MarkLogic server, shows you the running XQuery scripts, and allows you to debug them. The remote debugging support also allows you to debug collaboratively. Multiple users can participate in the same debugging session. You can start a debugging session and another user can continue it, and vice versa.

Working with Modules

MarkLogic has a concept of two types of XQuery modules, library and main modules. A library module is used to define functions. Library modules cannot be evaluated directly. They are imported, either from other library modules or from main modules. A main module is used as an entry point that can be executed as an XQuery program. For more information on these types of modules, see XQuery Library Modules and Main Modules.

When working with library modules, you need to create a validation scenario and associate it with the module. In the validation scenario you need to specify a main module as the entry point for validation. The modules need to be deployed on a MarkLogic server because Oxygen XML Editor will request the server to validate the modules.

To validate library modules stored on a MarkLogic server, follow these steps:
  1. Configure a MarkLogic database connection.
  2. Expand the MarkLogic connection in the Data Source Explorer view and open the library modules. The main module must also be opened from the Data Source Explorer view.

  3. Configure a validation scenario for each library module. Specify the main module in the URL of the file to validate field.

    Result: Validation is done on the server that contains the main module. The main module and all other library modules involved in the validation must be saved. Otherwise, the server will validate what was saved on the server, without the uncommitted changes. Also, the Content Completion Assistant and the Outline view should now present the functions from all the modules.