• XQuery and XSLT
  • Overview
  • Query Processor and Database Integration
  • Libraries and Frameworks
  • IntelliJ Integration
• Building
  • Gradle
  • Java
  • IntelliJ
• License

XQuery and XSLT

Overview

This is a plugin for the IntelliJ IDE that adds support for the XML Query (XQuery) and XML Path (XPath) languages. This covers support for:

1. XPath 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1;
2. XQuery 1.0, 3.0, and 3.1;
3. XQuery and XPath Full Text extension;
4. XQuery Update Facility 1.0, and 3.0 extension;
5. XQuery Scripting extension;
6. EXPath extensions;
7. BaseX, MarkLogic, and Saxon vendor extensions.

This plugin also has limited support for the following XML-based languages that use XPath:

1. XSLT 1.0-3.0 (active when the IntelliJ XPathView plugin is disabled);
2. XProc 1.0-3.0.

See https://rhdunn.github.io/xquery-intellij-plugin/ for the plugin documentation and tutorials.

The latest development version of this plugin supports IntelliJ 2022.3 – 2025.2. Older versions of the plugin are compatible with older versions of IntelliJ.

Query Processor and Database Integration

This plugin provides support for the following implementations of XQuery:

1. BaseX 7.0 – 9.3;
2. eXist-db 4.4 – 5.3;
3. FusionDB alpha;
4. MarkLogic 8.0 – 10.0;
5. Saxon 9.2 – 10.0.

For those XQuery implementations, this plugin supports:

1. Running XQuery, XSLT, XPath, SPARQL, SQL, and JavaScript queries where supported by the implementation;
2. Profiling XQuery and XSLT queries;
3. Debugging MarkLogic XQuery-based queries, with expression breakpoint support;
4. Viewing access and error log files.

This plugin provides additional integration support for the following query processor file types and standards:

1. MarkLogic rewriter XML files;
2. EXQuery RESTXQ 1.0.

Libraries and Frameworks

This plugin adds support for the following project frameworks:

1. MarkLogic Roxy – source root detection;
2. MarkLogic ml-gradle – source root detection.
3. Support running and profiling XRay unit tests.

IntelliJ Integration

This plugin provides support for the following IntelliJ features:

1. Resolving URI string literal, function, and variable references;
2. Code folding;
3. Find usages and semantic usage highlighting;
4. Rename refactoring for variables;
5. Code completion;
6. Parameter information;
7. Parameter inlay hints;
8. Structure view;
9. Breadcrumb navigation, including highlighting XML tags in the editor like the IntelliJ XML plugin;
10. Paired brace matching;
11. Commenting code;
12. Integrated function documentation ("Quick Documentation", Ctrl+Q);
13. Context information (Alt+Q) for XQuery function declarations;
14. Spellchecking support with bundle dictionaries with XPath, XQuery, and XSLT terms.
15. Language injection support on various elements, including string literals.

The plugin also supports the following IntelliJ Ultimate features:

1. Support displaying MarkLogic rewriter files in the Endpoints tool window;
2. Support displaying EXQuery RESTXQ endpoints in the Endpoints tool window.

Building

Gradle

This project uses gradle. It requires gradle 8.5 or later. You can then use:

• gradle ....

If you open the project in IntelliJ it will install and configure the gradle wrapper for you. You can then use:

• ./gradlew ... if using a bash or similar shell;
• gradlew.bat ... if using Windows.

Java

The Java version depends on the version of IntelliJ being targeted:

• IntelliJ 2022.3 - 2024.1 require Java 17;
• IntelliJ 2024.2 - 2025.2 require Java 21.

In IntelliJ you need to specify the Gradle JVM property (File | Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Build Tools | Gradle) to that Java version.

IntelliJ

The version of IntelliJ to build can be configured as follows:

Environment Variable	System Property	Default	Description
IDEA_TYPE	platform.type	IU	IntelliJ platform type.
IDEA_VERSION	platform.version	2025.1	IntelliJ version.

The following are some useful gradle tasks:

• clean -- clear previous build artifacts;
• :buildPlugin -- build the plugin to the build/distributions directory;
• :runIde -- run an instance of the specified IntelliJ IDE with the plugin installed;
• check -- run the tests;
• :verifyPlugin -- run the IntelliJ plugin verifier to check for compatibility.

License

Copyright (C) 2016-2025 Reece H. Dunn

This software and document includes material copied from or derived from the XPath and XQuery specifications. Copyright © 1999-2017 W3C® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio, Beihang).

The IntelliJ XQuery Plugin is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.