empty Function (XQuery)
Returns True if the value of $arg is an empty sequence. Otherwise, the function returns False.
Syntax
fn:empty($arg as item()*) as xs:boolean
Arguments
- $arg
A sequence of items. If the sequence is empty, the function returns True. Otherwise, the function returns False.
Remarks
The fn:exists() function is not supported. As an alternative, the not() function can be used.
Examples
This topic provides XQuery examples against XML instances that are stored in various xml type columns in the AdventureWorks database.
A. Using the empty() XQuery function to determine if an attribute is present
In the manufacturing process for Product Model 7, this query returns all the work center locations that do not have a MachineHours attribute.
SELECT ProductModelID, Instructions.query('
declare namespace AWMI="https://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2004/07/adventure-works/ProductModelManuInstructions";
for $i in /AWMI:root/AWMI:Location[empty(@MachineHours)]
return
<Location
LocationID="{ ($i/@LocationID) }"
LaborHrs="{ ($i/@LaborHours) }" >
{
$i/@MachineHours
}
</Location>
') as Result
FROM Production.ProductModel
where ProductModelID=7
This is the result:
ProductModelID Result
-------------- ------------------------------------------
7 <Location LocationID="30" LaborHrs="1"/>
<Location LocationID="50" LaborHrs="3"/>
<Location LocationID="60" LaborHrs="4"/>
The following, slightly modified, query returns "NotFound" if the MachineHour attribute is not present:
SELECT ProductModelID, Instructions.query('
declare namespace p14="https://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2004/07/adventure-works/ProductModelManuInstructions";
for $i in /p14:root/p14:Location
return
<Location
LocationID="{ ($i/@LocationID) }"
LaborHrs="{ ($i/@LaborHours) }" >
{
if (empty($i/@MachineHours)) then
attribute MachineHours { "NotFound" }
else
attribute MachineHours { data($i/@MachineHours) }
}
</Location>
') as Result
FROM Production.ProductModel
where ProductModelID=7
This is the result:
ProductModelID Result
-------------- -----------------------------------
7
<Location LocationID="10" LaborHrs="2.5" MachineHours="3"/>
<Location LocationID="20" LaborHrs="1.75" MachineHours="2"/>
<Location LocationID="30" LaborHrs="1" MachineHours="NotFound"/>
<Location LocationID="45" LaborHrs="0.5" MachineHours="0.65"/>
<Location LocationID="50" LaborHrs="3" MachineHours="NotFound"/>
<Location LocationID="60" LaborHrs="4" MachineHours="NotFound"/>