Ensuring Query Compatibility with Evolving XML Schemas

TL;DR

This paper introduces a logical framework and tool to verify and manage the impact of schema evolution on XML queries, ensuring compatibility across different schema versions.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach for analyzing schema relations and identifying necessary query reformulations in evolving XML applications.

Findings

Framework effectively detects schema-query compatibility issues.

Tool assists XML designers in reformulating queries for new schemas.

Improves reliability of data retrieval in evolving XML systems.

Abstract

During the life cycle of an XML application, both schemas and queries may change from one version to another. Schema evolutions may affect query results and potentially the validity of produced data. Nowadays, a challenge is to assess and accommodate the impact of theses changes in rapidly evolving XML applications. This article proposes a logical framework and tool for verifying forward/backward compatibility issues involving schemas and queries. First, it allows analyzing relations between schemas. Second, it allows XML designers to identify queries that must be reformulated in order to produce the expected results across successive schema versions. Third, it allows examining more precisely the impact of schema changes over queries, therefore facilitating their reformulation.