SPARQL Queries

A SPARQL query is used to find or test for values in an RDF graph database. There are four types of SPARQL queries:

• :select (incl. :select-distinct and :select-reduced)
• :construct
• :ask
• :describe

Each SPARQL query in Flint is a map that includes one of the four aforementioned clauses, as well as any of the following clauses:

• Prologue clauses
  • :base
  • :prefixes
• Graph IRI clauses
  • :from
  • :from-named
• :where (optional in :describe queries, required in others)
• Modifiers
  • :group-by
  • :order-by
  • :having
  • :limit
  • :offset
  • :values (:select queries only)

NOTE: Any key other than the above keywords is not allowed in a SPARQL query map.

Query Clauses

:select

Reference: 16.1 SELECT

A :select query is used to select and return specific variables in a query. It can be one of two things:

• A wildcard: * or :*
• A collection of variables or [expr var] forms.

Example of a wildcard :select:

{:prefixes {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :select   *
 :where    [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
SELECT *
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
}

Example of a :select with variables and [expr var] forms:

{:prefixes {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :select   [?fullName [(<= 18 ?age) ?isAdult]]
 :where    [{?x {:foaf/familyName #{"Jaeger"}
                 :foaf/name       #{?fullName}
                 :foaf/age        #{?age}}}]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
SELECT ?fullName ((18 <= ?age) AS ?isAdult)
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" ;
       foaf:name ?fullName ;
       foaf:age ?age .
}

NOTE: Flint does not allow for duplicate projected variables in :select. SPARQL implementations do allow for duplicates in certain situations but not others, so Flint implements this blanket restriction for simplicity.

NOTE: :group-by cannot be used with a wildcard :select.

NOTE: Aggregate expressions introduce restrictions on variables in a :select clause, namely all variables must be projected from a :group-by clause, a [expr var] form, or be part of an aggregate.

:select-distinct

Reference: 15.3 Duplicate Solutions

The :select-distinct variant of :select eliminates duplicate values of a selected variable from the result set. The syntax and restrictions of a :select-distinct clause are exactly the same as those of a :select clause.

The example:

{:prefixes        {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :select-distinct [?givenName]
 :where           [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]
                   [?x :foaf/givenName ?givenName]]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
SELECT DISTINCT ?givenName
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
    ?x foaf:givenName ?givenName .
}

:select-reduced

Reference: 15.3 Duplicate Solutions

The :select-reduced variant of :select allows elimination of duplicate values from the result set. The syntax and restrictions of a :select-reduced clause are exactly the same as those of a :select clause.

The example:

{:prefixes       {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :select-reduced [?givenName]
 :where          [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]
                  [?x :foaf/givenName ?givenName]]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
SELECT REDUCED ?givenName
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
    ?x foaf:givenName ?givenName .
}

:construct

Reference: 16.2 CONSTRUCT

A :construct query returns an RDF graph. Syntactically, the :construct clause is comprised of a series of triples, which can be written as vectors or IGraph normal form maps.

The example:

{:prefixes  {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :construct [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]
             {?y {:foaf/familyName #{"Ackerman"}
                  :foaf/givenName #{?givenName}}}]
 :where     [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]
             {?y {:foaf/familyName #{"Ackerman"}}}]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
CONSTRUCT {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
    ?y foaf:familyName "Ackerman" ;
       foaf:givenName ?givenName .
}
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
    ?y foaf:familyName "Ackerman" .
}

A :construct clause may contain zero triples, resulting in an empty RDF graph being returned.

NOTE: The CONSTRUCT WHERE shorthand is not supported in Flint.

NOTE: Property paths are not allowed in the :construct clause (though they are still allowed in the :where clause).

:ask

Reference: 16.3 ASK

A :ask query tests for existence, i.e. returns true if the data described by the :where clause exists. The :ask clause in Flint, to match SPARQL syntax, must be present and be either nil or an empty collection.

The example:

{:prefixes {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :ask      []
 :where    [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
ASK
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
}

:describe

Reference: 16.4 DESCRIBE

A :describe query is similar to :construct in that it returns an RDF graph; unlike a :construct query, however, what is returns is implementation-specific. A :describe clause can be one of two things:

• A wildcard: * or :*
• A collection of variables, IRIs, or prefixed IRIs.

The example:

{:prefixes {:foaf "<http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>"}
 :describe [?x "<http://example.org>"]
 :where    [[?x :foaf/familyName "Jaeger"]]}

becomes:

PREFIX foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/>
DESCRIBE ?x <http://example.org>
WHERE {
    ?x foaf:familyName "Jaeger" .
}