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Merged
naitoh merged 2 commits into from
Jun 7, 2026
+58 −31
Merged

XPath nodeset always in document-order #320

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be3de1f
XPath nodeset always in document-order
tompng May 25, 2026
82c6ad9
Change keyword parameter of `step` from :order to :axis_order
tompng Jun 7, 2026
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22 changes: 9 additions & 13 deletions lib/rexml/xpath_parser.rb
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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def expr( path_stack, nodeset, context=nil )
nodesets
end
when :ancestor
nodeset = step(path_stack) do
nodeset = step(path_stack, axis_order: :reverse) do
nodesets = []
# new_nodes = {}
nodeset.each do |node|
Expand All@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ def expr( path_stack, nodeset, context=nil )
nodesets
end
when :ancestor_or_self
nodeset = step(path_stack) do
nodeset = step(path_stack, axis_order: :reverse) do
nodesets = []
# new_nodes = {}
nodeset.each do |node|
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ def expr( path_stack, nodeset, context=nil )
nodesets
end
when :preceding_sibling
nodeset = step(path_stack, order: :reverse) do
nodeset = step(path_stack, axis_order: :reverse) do
nodesets = []
nodeset.each do |node|
raw_node = node.raw_node
Expand All@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ def expr( path_stack, nodeset, context=nil )
nodesets
end
when :preceding
nodeset = step(path_stack, order: :reverse) do
nodeset = step(path_stack, axis_order: :reverse) do
unnode(nodeset) do |node|
preceding(node)
end
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ def expr( path_stack, nodeset, context=nil )
leave(:expr, path_stack, nodeset) if @debug
end

def step(path_stack, any_type: :element, order: :forward)
def step(path_stack, any_type: :element, axis_order: :forward)
nodesets = yield
begin
enter(:step, path_stack, nodesets) if @debug
Expand All@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ def step(path_stack, any_type: :element, order: :forward)
nodesets = evaluate_predicate(predicate_expression, nodesets)
end
if nodesets.size == 1
ordered_nodeset = nodesets[0]
ordered_nodeset = axis_order == :forward ? nodesets.first : nodesets.first.reverse
else

@naitohnaitohJun 4, 2026

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@tompng
Thank you for this PR.

But, performance has decreased because the optimization for nodesets.size == 1 has been removed.
Is there any way to improve this?

$ git checkout master
$ rake build
rexml 3.4.5 built to pkg/rexml-3.4.5.gem.
$ gem install pkg/rexml-3.4.5.gem
$ git checkout no_reverse_order
$ benchmark-driver benchmark/xpath_no_reverse_order.yaml
Calculating -------------------------------------
master(a98066c) after master(a98066c,YJIT) after(YJIT) child 280.227 19.016 544.496 31.084 i/s - 100.000 timesin 0.356853s 5.258603s 0.183656s 3.217105s
descendant 18.445 9.682 28.523 15.258 i/s - 100.000 timesin 5.421532s 10.327928s 3.505883s 6.554030s
Comparison:
child
master(a98066c,YJIT): 544.5 i/s master(a98066c): 280.2 i/s - 1.94x slower
after(YJIT): 31.1 i/s - 17.52x slower
after: 19.0 i/s - 28.63x slower
descendant
master(a98066c,YJIT): 28.5 i/s master(a98066c): 18.4 i/s - 1.55x slower
after(YJIT): 15.3 i/s - 1.87x slower
after: 9.7 i/s - 2.95x slower
  • benchmark/xpath_no_reverse_order.yaml
loop_count: 100contexts:
- name: master(a98066c)gems:
rexml: 3.4.5require: falseprelude: require 'rexml'
- name: afterprelude: | $LOAD_PATH.unshift(File.expand_path("lib")) require 'rexml' - name: master(a98066c,YJIT)gems:
rexml: 3.4.5require: falseprelude: | require 'rexml' RubyVM::YJIT.enable - name: after(YJIT)prelude: | $LOAD_PATH.unshift(File.expand_path("lib")) require 'rexml' RubyVM::YJIT.enableprelude: | require "rexml" xml = "<root>" + (1..2000).map { |i| "<item id='#{i}'/>" }.join + "</root>" doc = REXML::Document.new(xml)benchmark:
child: REXML::XPath.match(doc, "/root/item")descendant: REXML::XPath.match(doc, "//item")

@tompngtompngJun 5, 2026

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Is there any way to improve this?

Yes, there are several ways.

  • A. Improve performance of sort

    • Should be done in a separate PR

  • B. Mark nodesets ordering

    • ordered_nodeset = marked_as_ordered? ? nodesets.first : nodesets.first.reverse
    • Ordering is currently :ordered | :reversed but in Optimize XPath step #315 we need to add :unordered
    • Conflicts with C

  • C. Delay nodeset ordering on demand

    • Sort the final result and in some functions such number(xpath)
    • Requires predicate position-independency analytics, requires sorted nodeset or not
    • After doing this, optimization of B needs to be extended. We need to re-implement B in a different way again.

I implemented B with changing the meaning of order: keyword parameter

  • Before: key to specify the output order: :forward | :reverse
  • After: key to specify the state of nodesets ordering: :ordered | :reversed | :unordered(future)

Perhaps this approach will be a blocker implementing C(delayed nodeset ordering), and optimizing XPathParser#step (#315) but we can consider it later.

@naitohnaitohJun 7, 2026

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I implemented B with changing the meaning of order: keyword parameter

* Before: key to specify the output order: `:forward | :reverse`
* After: key to specify the state of nodesets ordering: `:ordered | :reversed | :unordered(future)`

Perhaps this approach will be a blocker implementing C(delayed nodeset ordering), and optimizing XPathParser#step (#315) but we can consider it later.

@tompng

Thank you.
I also think B is the best option, but can we keep :forward | :reverse in this PR?

I don't want to include :ordered | :reversed | :unordered(future) in this PR, because I can't review them at this time, as they are scheduled to be changed later.

I would like to include changes to :ordered | :reversed | :unordered(future) in the pull request when they are actually implemented.

@tompngtompngJun 7, 2026

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Updated. Copilot suggested to rename the keyword parameter to :axis_order, what do you think?

@naitohnaitohJun 7, 2026

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Thank you for your update.

Also, :axis_order is easier to understand.
Please change it to :axis_order.

@tompngtompngJun 7, 2026

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Done!

seen = {}.compare_by_identity
raw_nodes = []
Expand All@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ def step(path_stack, any_type: :element, order: :forward)
raw_nodes << raw_node
end
end
ordered_nodeset = sort(raw_nodes, order)
ordered_nodeset = sort(raw_nodes)
end
new_nodeset = []
ordered_nodeset.each do |node|
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ def leave(tag, *args)
# in and out of function calls. If I knew what the index of the nodes was,
# I wouldn't have to do this. Maybe add a document IDX for each node?
# Problems with mutable documents. Or, rewrite everything.
def sort(array_of_nodes, order)
def sort(array_of_nodes)
new_arry = []
array_of_nodes.each { |node|
node_idx = []
Comment on lines 671 to 673
Expand All@@ -679,11 +679,7 @@ def sort(array_of_nodes, order)
new_arry << [ node_idx.reverse, node ]
}
ordered = new_arry.sort_by do |index, node|
if order == :forward
index
else
index.map(&:-@)
end
index
end
ordered.collect do |_index, node|
node
Expand Down
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion test/xpath/test_axis_preceding_sibling.rb
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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def test_preceding_sibling_axis
assert_equal "6", context.attributes["id"]

prev = XPath.first(context, "preceding-sibling::f")
assert_equal "5", prev.attributes["id"]
assert_equal "3", prev.attributes["id"]

prev = XPath.first(context, "preceding-sibling::f[1]")
assert_equal "5", prev.attributes["id"]
Expand Down
65 changes: 48 additions & 17 deletions test/xpath/test_base.rb
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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -382,32 +382,39 @@ def test_preceding
start = XPath.first( d, "/a/b[@id='1']" )
assert_equal 'b', start.name
c = XPath.first( start, "preceding::c" )
assert_equal '2', c.attributes['id']
assert_equal '0', c.attributes['id']

c1, c0 = XPath.match( d, "/a/b/c[@id='2']/preceding::node()" )
assert_equal '1', c1.attributes['id']
b0, b2, c0, c1 = XPath.match( d, "/a/b/c[@id='2']/preceding::node()" )
assert_equal 'b', b0.name
assert_equal 'b', b2.name
assert_equal 'c', c0.name
assert_equal 'c', c1.name

assert_equal '0', b0.attributes['id']
assert_equal '2', b2.attributes['id']
assert_equal '0', c0.attributes['id']
assert_equal '1', c1.attributes['id']

c2, c1, c0, b, b2, b0 = XPath.match( start, "preceding::node()" )
b0, b2, b, c0, c1, c2 = XPath.match( start, "preceding::node()" )

assert_equal 'c', c2.name
assert_equal 'c', c1.name
assert_equal 'c', c0.name
assert_equal 'b', b.name
assert_equal 'b', b2.name
assert_equal 'c', c1.name
assert_equal 'c', c2.name
assert_equal 'b', b0.name
assert_equal 'b', b2.name
assert_equal 'b', b.name

assert_equal '2', c2.attributes['id']
assert_equal '1', c1.attributes['id']
assert_equal '0', c0.attributes['id']
assert b.attributes.empty?
assert_equal '2', b2.attributes['id']
assert_equal '1', c1.attributes['id']
assert_equal '2', c2.attributes['id']
assert_equal '0', b0.attributes['id']
assert_equal '2', b2.attributes['id']
assert b.attributes.empty?

d = REXML::Document.new("<a><b/><c/><d/></a>")
matches = REXML::XPath.match(d, "/a/d/preceding::node()")
assert_equal("c", matches[0].name)
assert_equal("b", matches[1].name)
assert_equal("b", matches[0].name)
assert_equal("c", matches[1].name)

s = "<a><b><c id='1'/></b><b><b><c id='2'/><c id='3'/></b><c id='4'/></b><c id='NOMATCH'><c id='5'/></c></a>"
d = REXML::Document.new(s)
Expand All@@ -425,7 +432,7 @@ def test_preceding_multiple
XML
doc = REXML::Document.new(source)
matches = REXML::XPath.match(doc, "a/d/preceding::*")
assert_equal(["d", "c", "b"], matches.map(&:name))
assert_equal(["b", "c", "d"], matches.map(&:name))
end

def test_following_multiple
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -498,7 +505,7 @@ def test_preceding_sibling_across_multiple_nodes
XML
doc = REXML::Document.new(source)
matches = REXML::XPath.match(doc, "a/b/x/preceding-sibling::*")
assert_equal(["e", "d", "c"], matches.map(&:name))
assert_equal(["c", "d", "e"], matches.map(&:name))
end

def test_preceding_sibling_within_single_node
Expand All@@ -511,7 +518,7 @@ def test_preceding_sibling_within_single_node
XML
doc = REXML::Document.new(source)
matches = REXML::XPath.match(doc, "a/b/x/preceding-sibling::*")
assert_equal(["e", "x", "d", "c"], matches.map(&:name))
assert_equal(["c", "d", "x", "e"], matches.map(&:name))
end

def test_following
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -901,6 +908,30 @@ def test_ordering
r.collect {|element| element.attribute("id").value})
end

def test_order_consistency
doc = REXML::Document.new('<a><b><c><d id="1"><d id="2"/></d></c></b></a>')
assert_equal('a', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d/ancestor::*').name)
assert_equal('a', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/ancestor::*').name)
assert_equal(%w[a b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d/ancestor::*').map(&:name))
assert_equal(%w[a b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/ancestor::*').map(&:name))

assert_equal('a', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d/ancestor-or-self::*').name)
assert_equal('a', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/ancestor-or-self::*').name)
assert_equal(%w[a b c d d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d/ancestor-or-self::*').map(&:name))
assert_equal(%w[a b c d d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/ancestor-or-self::*').map(&:name))

doc = REXML::Document.new('<a><b/><c/><d id="1"/><d id="2"/></a>')
assert_equal('b', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d/preceding::*').name)
assert_equal('b', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/preceding::*').name)
assert_equal(%w[b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d/preceding::*').map(&:name))
assert_equal(%w[b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/preceding::*').map(&:name))

assert_equal('b', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d/preceding-sibling::*').name)
assert_equal('b', REXML::XPath.first(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/preceding-sibling::*').name)
assert_equal(%w[b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d/preceding-sibling::*').map(&:name))
assert_equal(%w[b c d], REXML::XPath.match(doc, '//d[@id="2"]/preceding-sibling::*').map(&:name))
end

def test_descendant_or_self_ordering
source = "<a>
<b>
Expand Down
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