# Install xqilla with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix XQuery and XPath 2 command-line interpreter. Version 2.3.4 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:xqilla ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install xqilla ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install xqilla ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/xqilla/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#xqilla ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xq/xqilla/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:xqilla - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.3.4 - **Source summary:** XQuery and XPath 2 command-line interpreter - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-25T13:38:13+02:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - xqilla (cli) - xqilla (alias) ## Dependencies - xerces-c ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.3.4 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-25 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://xqilla.sourceforge.net/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage XQilla is a C++ XQuery and XPath 2.0 implementation built on Xerces-C, distributed with both a library and the xqilla command-line interpreter. It is part of the mid-2000s XML database and standards tooling wave. ### Project history SourceForge records XQilla as registered on 2005-10-31, and describes it as an XQuery and XPath 2.0 library written in C++ and built on Xerces-C. That origin places it during the period when XQuery and XPath 2.0 were becoming serious standards for XML databases, document repositories, and application servers. The repository README is intentionally terse: XQilla is a C++ implementation of XQuery and XPath 2.0 based on Xerces-C, and its build instructions start by building a Xerces-C source distribution before configuring XQilla against it. That dependency shaped its audience: C++ developers already in the Xerces/XML stack. Repository history shows long maintenance rather than constant redesign. SourceForge lists branches for xqilla_1_0, xqilla_1_1, xqilla_2_1, xqilla_2_2, and xqilla_2_3, with later tree activity by Lauren Foutz in 2015-2018 and historical work by John Snelson in documentation, TODOs, and parser/runtime internals. ### Adoption history XQilla's adoption has been specialized but durable. It appears in package collections such as Debian, FreshPorts, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Conan Center, and CERN LCG package metadata because it provides a C++ XQuery/XPath implementation where embedding and command-line evaluation both matter. The project never became a general-purpose shell text tool like jq. Its significance is in XML-heavy systems: standards testing, database-adjacent XML querying, C++ applications that already use Xerces-C, and environments that need a packaged xqilla executable for XQuery or XPath 2.0 evaluation. ### How it is used The Homebrew formula exposes the xqilla executable as an XQuery and XPath 2 command-line interpreter. In practical use, users run queries over XML documents or embed the library in C++ code that needs XQuery/XPath 2.0 support on top of Xerces-C parsing. Build-time usage is more old-school than many modern CLIs: the upstream README expects users to build Xerces-C, then configure XQilla with --with-xerces pointing to that build. That makes it familiar to C/C++ package maintainers and less casual for one-off users. ### Why package nerds care XQilla is package-nerd significant because it preserves a serious XML standards implementation from the SourceForge era. It is not trendy, but it fills a hard-to-replace niche for C++ XQuery and XPath 2.0 users. It also illustrates why package managers carry libraries and tiny interpreters that most users never install directly: old XML stacks, scientific software, enterprise tools, and standards testbeds can depend on them for years. ### Timeline - 2005-10-31: SourceForge lists XQilla's project registration date. - 2008-11-28: Repository history shows XQC API documentation and examples added. - 2011-10-31: SourceForge files area shows the historical xqilla directory timestamp. - 2015-05-19: SourceForge lists XQilla 2.3.1 archives. - 2018-07-03: SourceForge lists XQilla 2.3.4 archives. - 2018-07-12: SourceForge records the project's last update date. ### Related projects - Xerces-C: the XML parser foundation XQilla builds on. - eXist-db and Zorba: neighboring XML database and XQuery processor projects listed near XQilla on SourceForge. - Berkeley DB XML and mod_dbxml: related XML database tooling in the same historical ecosystem. ### Sources - - - - - - - ## Security Notes generalized runtime or code generation signal. - **Geiger risk:** yellow / medium - generalized runtime or code generation signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** xqilla - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 1 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - xqilla: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xq/xqilla/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - MacPorts - xqilla: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/xqilla/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [xerces-c](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xerces-c/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dbxml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dbxml/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [saxon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/saxon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml, xpath, xquery. - [castxml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/castxml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [expat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/expat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [itstool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/itstool/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [jing-trang](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jing-trang/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [libslax](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libslax/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [libwbxml](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libwbxml/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [libxml2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libxml2/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, xml. - [xml-coreutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xml-coreutils/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, xml. - [docbook2x](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docbook2x/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, xml. - [gsoap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gsoap/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, xml. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/xqilla.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/xqilla.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph