Query

SPARQL

SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language

Situational Formal standard W3C Since 2008

Judgement: Situational

Query RDF; right when your data lives in triples.

The query language for RDF graphs. Pattern-matching syntax that walks graph triples, with federation across endpoints, updates, and a standardised HTTP protocol.

Where SQL is to relational tables, SPARQL is to RDF: the standard way to ask questions of an Ossie, DCAT, SKOS, or SHACL-validated graph. Without it, the rest of the W3C semantic stack cannot answer queries portably.

Example

Graph pattern matching: bind variables against triples, then filter and order the bindings.

PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

SELECT ?concept ?label
WHERE {
  ?concept a skos:Concept ;
           skos:prefLabel ?label ;
           skos:inScheme <https://example.com/scheme/FinanceGlossary> .
  FILTER (lang(?label) = "en")
}
ORDER BY ?label
LIMIT 20

At a glance

Category
Query
Governance
W3C
Status
Stable; SPARQL 1.1 current, 1.2 in progress
First released
2008

Links

Related standards

Other standards in Query.

See SPARQL in context

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