Article
10/01/2010

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. For an overview of each of these columns, see xml Data Type Representation 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