Foundations of Query Languages
Coordination: Wim Martens
Contact: Wim Martens
Represented in MODUS since 2018/09
Members with experience in this area:
The method "Foundations of Query Languages":
WHAT IS THIS?
A data management system typically interacts with users through a so-called query language. Examples of such languages are SQL, SPARQL, or XQuery. We investigate fundamental issues such as the pros and contras of some of their features in terms of efficiency or expressivity.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Query languages are constantly updated and new query languages are constantly being developed. At this point it is important to know if the query language is sufficiently expressive to be able to answer the questions that users have about the data, and to do this in an efficient manner. This is why it is important to strike a good balance between expressiveness and complexity.