XPath is a language that describes a way to locate items in an XML document. XPath uses an addressing syntax based on the path through the XML hierarchy from a root component. You can create an XPath query predicate for elements in the view row or a column that has an XPath that includes the view row.

Use an XPath query predicate in an XML view to filter XML source data. In a session, the Integration Service extracts data from a source XML file based on the query. If all queries return TRUE, the Integration Service extracts data for the view.

An XPath query predicate includes an element or attribute to extract, and the query that determines the criteria. You can verify the value of an element or attribute, or you can verify that an element or attribute exists in the source XML data.

This appendix describes each function used in an XPath query predicate. Functions accept arguments and return values. When you create a function, you can include components from the elements and attributes in the XML view, and you can add literal values. When you specify a literal, you must enclose the literal in single or double quotes.