Resolving the XDMP-UNEXPECTED Syntax Error in MarkLogic

As a MarkLogic developer, you may encounter various error messages while writing XQuery or JavaScript code. One common error that you might come across is the “XDMP-UNEXPECTED: (err:XPST0003) Unexpected token syntax error.” This error typically indicates a problem with the syntax of your code, where a token is not expected at a specific location. In this article, we will explore the causes of this error, provide an example scenario, and discuss potential solutions.

Understanding the XDMP-UNEXPECTED Syntax Error:

The “XDMP-UNEXPECTED” error is thrown when the MarkLogic Server encounters a token in your code that is unexpected based on the grammar rules of XQuery or JavaScript. This error can occur due to various reasons, including missing or misplaced syntax elements, incorrect operators, or mismatched parentheses or brackets.

Example Scenario:

Let’s consider an example scenario to illustrate the XDMP-UNEXPECTED syntax error. Assume we have an XQuery module where we are attempting to generate new XMLs basis from an catalouge items:

XMLs File

<items>
  <item>1</item>
  <item>2</item>
  <item>3</item>
  <item>4</item>
  <item>5</item>
</items>

XQuery code

xquery version "1.0-ml";
element root{
    element products{"Product catalog"}
    element ul{
                let $items := <items>
                                <item>1</item>
                                <item>2</item>
                                <item>3</item>
                                <item>4</item>
                                <item>5</item>
                              </items>
                for $item in $items/item
                return
                element li {
                ("number:", fn:data($item))
                }
    }
}

If we run the above example of code in the Query Console of Marklogic, then we will get the below error.

[1.0-ml] XDMP-UNEXPECTED: (err:XPST0003) Unexpected token syntax error, unexpected Element_, expecting Comma_ or Rbrace_ or SemiColon_

Cause of the XDMP-UNEXPECTED Error:

To analyze this error, we will break this error into the parts basis on comma shown above in the image. So if we see this error again into the parts:

Part-1: [1.0-ml] XDMP-UNEXPECTED: (err:XPST0003) Unexpected token syntax error,
Part-2: unexpected Element_,
Part-3: expecting Comma_ or Rbrace_ or SemiColon_

Part-1 indicate the error of type so here type is syntax error. It means we have missed something in the XQuery code.

Part-2 indicate which line of code has error[see the highlighted line in the error section of image e.i., line 4], so in the our code error cause is [unexpected Element_]. Why?

Part-3 indicates the solution to the error and also provides possible values to avoid this error so in our case possible value are [Comma_ or Rbrace_ or SemiColon_]. Now here we have to identify which value needs to be used to avoid this error.

Solution:

So in our case we have missed the Comma, so we will place this Comma (,) the after the line 3 or before the line 4, then this error will resolve. Please see the below updated code.

xquery version "1.0-ml";
element root{
    element products{"Product catalog"},
    element ul{
                let $items := <items>
                                <item>1</item>
                                <item>2</item>
                                <item>3</item>
                                <item>4</item>
                                <item>5</item>
                              </items>
                for $item in $items/item
                return
                element li {
                ("number:", fn:data($item))
                }
    }
}

Now if you run the above code it will generate the below XML output.

<root>
<products>Product catalog</products>
<ul>
<li>number: 1</li>
<li>number: 2</li>
<li>number: 3</li>
<li>number: 4</li>
<li>number: 5</li>
</ul>
</root>

Conclusion:
The “XDMP-UNEXPECTED: (err:XPST0003) Unexpected token syntax error” is a common error encountered by MarkLogic developers. It signifies a syntax issue in the code where a token is not expected. In this article, we explored an example scenario where the error occurred due to missing a comma in XQuery. We also provided a solution by using the Comma (,). It’s crucial to carefully review the error message, analyze the code, and ensure that the syntax aligns with the requirements of the XQuery or JavaScript language to resolve the XDMP-UNEXPECTED syntax error.