XML
Choosing Between XSLT XQuery and a Script for XML Jobs
The same grouping job in XSLT 1.0, XSLT 2.0, XQuery and Python gave the same revenue to the cent. How the four compare on speed, length, exactness and fit.
6 min read
Topic
Tooling
Clients, formatters, linters and CLIs worth installing. Small tools that save hours.
XML
XQuery Basics With BaseX Using FLWOR on XML Files Fast
Query XML with XQuery in BaseX: for, let, where, order by and return, group by with exact decimals, and element constructors, on two sample files.
6 min read
XML
Passing Parameters Into an XSLT Stylesheet Without Surprises
Pass values into XSLT from xsltproc and lxml, and see why a param that looks like a string is read as an XPath expression and silently ignored.
6 min read
XML
Sorting and Filtering XML With XSLT and the Text Sort Trap
Sort with xsl:sort and filter with XPath predicates in XSLT, and avoid the default text sort that put 250000 after 44.00 and 29.50. Multiple keys and case.
6 min read
XML
Grouping Records With XSLT 2 and Muenchian Keys Compared
Group 20,000 invoices by currency with a Muenchian key in XSLT 1.0 and with for-each-group in XSLT 2.0 on Saxon, with sums, counts and timings.
6 min read
XML
XSLT Basics With Templates Match and Apply Templates
How an XSLT processor decides what to run: template match patterns, apply-templates, the built-in rules that dump text, modes, and the identity template.
6 min read
CSV
Using sqlite utils to Load CSV Fast Into a SQLite Database
Load a CSV into SQLite with one sqlite-utils command, set a primary key, control type detection, add full-text search, and see what 2 million rows cost.
6 min read
CSV
CSVLint and Other Validators for CSV Files Compared
Four CSV validators run on the same broken files: qsv validate, csvkit csvclean, CSVLint and Frictionless. What each reports, how it exits and which to use.
7 min read
CSV
VisiData for Exploring CSV Interactively in the Terminal
Open a CSV in VisiData to scroll, sort, filter and profile it from the keyboard, build frequency tables, and save results, plus its batch mode for scripts.
7 min read
CSV
Using Mlr Miller for Records and Pipelines on the Shell
Miller (mlr) treats CSV rows as named records and chains verbs with then. Real runs for sorting, grouping, new columns, JSON conversion and splitting files.
6 min read
CSV
Using xsv and qsv Side by Side on the Command Line
xsv and qsv share a command set, and qsv adds an index, sniffing, validation and more. See the overlap, the real timings with an index, and the type trap.
7 min read
CSVGuide
CSV Tools Worth Knowing and When to Reach for Each One
A field guide to CSV tools: csvkit, qsv, Miller, DuckDB, sqlite-utils, Polars, pandas and VisiData, run on the same 2 million row file with timings.
18 min read
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