[xquery-talk] Does XQuery fit anywhere in this landscape.

[Ihe Onwuka]

On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 1:16 PM, daniela florescu <dflorescu at me.com> wrote:

>
> What WILL convince them though is a strong use case, a vertical where tons
> of money can be made.
>
> Think AI/machine learning. For how many decades those guys were working in
> their corner, ignored and
> humored ……until SUDDENLY, Google realized that they can make LOTS OF MONEY
> with their work !?
>
> What XQuery or JSONiq need right now are strong use cases. Stuff that can
> be done with XQuery or JSONiq, but cannot
> be done otherwise.
>
>
I think what helps with machine learning is that it is not dragged down by
being something everybody thinks they can or should do, so progress is not
inhibited.

The use case for XQuery and JSONiq is there but it is being blocked by a
belief that SQL++ or N1QL or whatever will satisfice.

Look to history. How did relational databases supplant CODASYL. Firstly the
biggest fish in the pond IBM had a product and backed the technology to the
hilt. Then there was a sustained and successful campaign initiated by Codd
and Date but grew momentum to differentiate between a proper relational
database and a database that just had a relational veneer.

The former is out of the hands of the XQuery community, the latter isn't.
Half the problem is there isn't a consensus on what a query language should
be able to do. So formulate the equivalent of Codd's 12 rules for a modern
day query language such that each one is  aligned to a discernible benefit
i.e this is what you are missing if your language doesn't do this and can
be relatively easily verified.

We don't at this point know whether these SQL variants will turn out to be
the equivalent of a modern day object oriented Cobol, because right now
 their users aren't given reason to question their capabilities and sound
of those that would is drowned out by the propaganda deluge.

Daniela you've already started this with contributions to the list but it
needs to be fleshed out somewhat e.g composability, what are you missing in
practical terms if your language is not composable and how would you
demonstrate this property/benefit in a manner that can be critically
assessed.

If you can get vendors to assess their offerings by the criteria defined
then half the battle is won.
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