[xquery-talk] default base-uri?

[Michael Kay]

I would expect that if the query is read from a resource that has a known
URI, then that URI will be taken as the base URI. If it isn't (for example,
if it is simply a string in a Java program) then the initial base URI will
be undefined, and that any attempt to access it will be an error. However,
an alternative approach would be to use the "current working directory" if
the operating system has such a concept. Many JAXP implementations adopt
this approach, but I think it's a bit questionable.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/ 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: talk-bounces at xquery.com 
> [mailto:talk-bounces at xquery.com] On Behalf Of Per Bothner
> Sent: 08 January 2006 00:23
> To: talk at xquery.com
> Subject: [xquery-talk] default base-uri?
> 
> What is the "default" base-uri when base-uri has not been
> explicitly specified.  The XQuery specification says "none",
> but what does that mean in practice?
> 
> If my query contains:
>    fn:doc("foo.xml")
> and assume there is no "declare base-uri" declaration.
> Section C.1 of the specifcation says that an implementation
> is allowed to overwrite or augment the default, so the result
> is implementation-defined.  But what *should* it be, assuming
> the user have not explicitly specifier a base uri?
> 
> * An error?
> * Resolved relative to the source code of the XQuery, assuming
> that is meaningful - e.g. the directory containing the query file?
> * Resolved relative to the "current directory", assuming that
> is meaningful?  If so, current directory at compile-time or at
> run-time, if there is a distinction?  If the latter, then the
> base-uri is not static - though one could define kludges
> like "file:." or "current-directory:foo.xml".
> 
> I have some ideas, but maybe people with wider experience have
> expectations they could share.
> -- 
> 	--Per Bothner
> per at bothner.com   http://per.bothner.com/
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