Changes

<syntaxhighlight lang="xquery">

insert node (attribute { 'a' } { 5 }, 'text', <e/>) into /n

Insert enables you to insert a sequence of nodes into a single target node. Several modifiers are available to specify the exact insert location: insert into '''as first'''/'''as last''', insert '''before'''/'''after''' and insert '''into'''.

<syntaxhighlight lang="xquery">

delete node //n

The example query deletes all <code><n></code> elements in your database. In contrast to other updating expressions, multiple nodes can be supplied as a target.

<syntaxhighlight lang="xquery">

replace node /n with <a/>

The target element is replaced by the DOM node <code><a/></code>. You can also replace the value of a node and its descendants by using the modifier '''value of''':

<syntaxhighlight lang="xquery">

replace value of node /n with 'newValue'

All descendants of /n are deleted, and the supplied text is inserted as the only child. The result of the insert sequence is either a single text node or an empty sequence. If the insert sequence is empty, all descendants of the target are deleted. Consequently, replacing the value of a node leaves the target with either a single text node or no descendants at all.

for $n in //originalNode

return rename node $n as 'renamedNode'

All <code>originalNode</code> elements are renamed. A loop can be used to modify multiple nodes within a single statement. Nodes on the {{Code|descendant}} or {{Code|attribute}} axis of the target are not affected.

modify rename node $c as 'copyOfNode'

return $c

A copy of the {{Code|originalNode}} element is created, renamed and returned; the original document will not be updated.

)

return $c

;Result:

<author>Joey</author>

</entry>

Instead of the main-memory {{Code|<entry>}} element, a database node can be supplied:

copy $c := (db:get('example')//entry)[1]

...

In this case, the database node remains untouched, as all updates are performed on the node copy.

)

return $doc

===update===

delete node ./text()

}

If multiple nodes are supplied as input, the updates will subsequently be performed on each node:

delete node text()

}

It is easy to chain subsequent update expressions:

insert node "text" into child

}

===transform with===

replace value of node . with 'new-text'

}

==Functions==

local:add(., <sub/>)

}

If update operations are defined in an anonymous function, it may be necessary to call the function with an additional {{Code|updating}} keyword:

updating $add(., <sub/>)

}

=Concepts=

insert node <b/> into /doc,

/doc/* ! (rename node . as 'renamed')

…applied on the document…

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">

<doc> <a/> </doc>

…results in the following document:

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">

<doc> <renamed/><b/> </doc>

Despite explicitly renaming all child nodes of {{Code|<doc/>}}, the former {{Code|<a/>}} element is the only one to be renamed. The {{Code|<b/>}} element is inserted within the same snapshot and is therefore not yet visible to the user.

<syntaxhighlight lang="xquery">

update:output("Update successful."), insert node <c/> into doc('factbook')/mondial

* With {{Option|MIXUPDATES}}, all updating constraints will be turned off. Returned nodes will be copied before they are modified by updating expressions. An error is raised if items are returned within a transform expression.