SPARUL

SPARUL, or SPARQL/Update, is a declarative data manipulation language that is an extension to the SPARQL query language standard. SPARUL provides the ability to insert, delete and update RDF data held within a triple store or quad store. SPARUL was originally written by Hewlett-Packard and has been used as the foundation for the current W3C recommendation entitled SPARQL 1.1 Update.

Examples

Adding some triples to a graph. The snippet describes two RDF triples to be inserted into the default graph of the RDF store.

PREFIX dc: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
INSERT DATA
{ <http://example/book3> dc:title    "A new book" ;
                         dc:creator  "A.N.Other" .
}

This SPARQL/Update request contains a triple to be deleted and a triple to be added (used here to correct a book title). The requested change happens in the named graph identified by the URI http://example/bookStore.

PREFIX dc: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>

DELETE DATA FROM <http://example/bookStore>
{ <http://example/book3>  dc:title  "Fundamentals of Compiler Design" }

INSERT DATA INTO <http://example/bookStore>
{ <http://example/book3>  dc:title  "Fundamentals of Compiler Design" }

The example below has a request to delete all records of old books (with date before year 2000)

PREFIX dc:  <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
PREFIX xsd: <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#>

DELETE
 { ?book ?p ?v }
WHERE
  { ?book dc:date ?date .
    FILTER ( ?date < "2000-01-01T00:00:00"^^xsd:dateTime )
    ?book ?p ?v
  }

This snippet copies records from one named graph to another named graph based on a pattern.

PREFIX dc:  <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
PREFIX xsd: <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#>

INSERT INTO <http://example/bookStore2>
 { ?book ?p ?v }
WHERE
  { GRAPH  <http://example/bookStore>
       { ?book dc:date ?date .
         FILTER ( ?date < "2000-01-01T00:00:00"^^xsd:dateTime )
         ?book ?p ?v
  } }

An example to move records from one named graph to another named graph based on a pattern.

PREFIX dc:  <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
PREFIX xsd: <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#>

INSERT INTO <http://example/bookStore2>
 { ?book ?p ?v }
WHERE
  { GRAPH  <http://example/bookStore>
     { ?book dc:date ?date .
       FILTER ( ?date < "2000-01-01T00:00:00"^^xsd:dateTime )
       ?book ?p ?v
     }
  }

DELETE FROM <http://example/bookStore>
 { ?book ?p ?v }
WHERE
  { GRAPH  <http://example/bookStore>
      { ?book dc:date ?date .
        FILTER ( ?date < "2000-01-01T00:00:00"^^xsd:dateTime )
        ?book ?p ?v
      }
  }

SPARQL/Update implementations

• SparkleDB supports SPARQL/Update 1.1.
• Jena
• OpenLink Virtuoso Universal Server
• ARC supports LOAD, INSERT and DELETE, but not MODIFY.
• StrixDB supports SPARQL/Update 1.0.
• 4store
• AllegroGraph
• ARQ
• Ontotext OWLIM
• OntoBroker
• D2R Server
• Dydra
• Redland / Redstore
• Oracle DB Enterprise Ed.
• Parliament
• SPARQLverse

Clients supporting SPARUL

• tabulator

External links

• SPARQL/Update W3C Member Submission
• SPARQL 1.1 Update Proposed Recommendation from W3C SPARQL Working Group
• EditingData wiki page - summary (maintained by Tim Berners-Lee) of ways to edit linked data