Hi Christian,

Your explanation is helpful. The test scenarios that I have do need to read and write data.

Currently it is possible to have a function annotated with %unit:before that performs updates to prepare databases for a %unit:test function.  For example:

module namespace t = "test";

declare %unit:before("t:test02") %updating function t:test01 () {
  db:create("test")
};

declare %unit:before("t:test03") %updating function t:test02 () {
  db:put-value("test", 1 to 10, "numbers")
};

declare %unit:test function t:test03 () {
  unit:assert(db:get-value("test", "numbers") = (1 to 10))
};


In a similar way, would it be possible to have a %unit:before function run code that uses job:execute, which may perform updates, and then have a %unit:test function verify the results, and avoid a deadlock? I'm not sure if this would be any easier than analyzing XQUnit functions to set a more fine granular lock as you described. I tried this and it resulted in a deadlock:

module namespace t = "test";

declare %unit:before("t:test02") function t:test01 () {
  job:execute('db:create("test")')
};

declare %unit:before("t:test03") function t:test02 () {
  job:execute('db:put-value("test", 1 to 10, "numbers")')
};

declare %unit:test function t:test03 () {
  unit:assert(db:get-value("test", "numbers")) = (1 to 10)
};


Perhaps a different approach could be to create tests using BaseX's client/server architecture: have XQUnit tests run in a BaseX client, and have code under test run in BaseX server facilitated by a set of RESTXQ functions.

Many thanks,
Vincent

_____________________________________________

Vincent M. Lizzi

Head of Information Standards | Taylor & Francis Group

vincent.lizzi@taylorandfrancis.com

Time zone: US Eastern  
Book time to meet with me


From: Christian Grün <cg@basex.org>
Sent: Monday, February 2, 2026 10:37 AM
To: Christian Grün via BaseX-Talk <basex-talk@mailman.uni-konstanz.de>; Lizzi, Vincent <Vincent.Lizzi@taylorandfrancis.com>
Subject: AW: job:execute with unit:test stalls

Hi Vincent,

I’m glad to see that job:execute finds its use in the wild.

As you have already discovered, care needs to be taken when updates are performed: Code that is executed with this function is started as a separate query job, which will be registered and run once there is no other updating process. When the parent expression is updating, this causes a deadlock. 

If tests are executed (via the TEST command, via -t on command line, etc), a global write lock is set – which means that an invocation of job:execute inside the test is doomed to stall. One way out could be to analyze all XQUnit functions and set a more fine granular lock; but I assume your tests will not only perform main-memory operations, but read and possibly write data, too?

Best,
Christian

Von: Lizzi, Vincent via BaseX-Talk <basex-talk@mailman.uni-konstanz.de>
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 29. Januar 2026 20:55
An: Christian Grün via BaseX-Talk <basex-talk@mailman.uni-konstanz.de>
Betreff: [basex-talk] job:execute with unit:test stalls
 
Hi BaseX team,

The new job:execute function in BaseX 12 is incredibly useful. Using job:execute, it's now possible to have a query that fetches data, dynamically computes the names of databases, creates the databases, populates the databases, and then reads from the same databases, all contained in one query or module!!! This can greatly simplify processes that previously required multiple steps. 

I'm running into trouble when trying to use %unit:test to test code that uses job:execute. Running the test causes a deadlock, even though the code works correctly when run on its own.

Here is a small example based on the example in the documentation https://docs.basex.org/main/Job_Functions#job:execute

This query produces "true" when run in BaseX GUI.

job:execute('db:create("test")'),
job:execute('db:put-value("test", 1 to 10, "numbers")'),
job:execute('db:get-value("test", "numbers")') = (1 to 10)

After adding %unit:test and unit:assert, when this test is run in BaseX GUI it stalls (until I click Stop to interrupt the process).

module namespace t = "test";
declare %unit:test function t:test01 () {
  job:execute('db:create("test")'),
  job:execute('db:put-value("test", 1 to 10, "numbers")'),
  unit:assert(job:execute('db:get-value("test", "numbers")') = (1 to 10))
};

Should this work, or am I missing something?

The documentation mentions to be careful to avoid deadlocks with updating queries. I've also found that a deadlock can occur when the main query uses fn:doc even if unrelated to job:execute, but this can be solved by wrapping fn:doc in job:execute. I haven't found a way to work around deadlocks that occur with %unit:test.  I'm using BaseX version 12.2.

Many thanks,
Vincent

______________________________________________

Vincent M. Lizzi

Head of Information Standards | Taylor & Francis Group

E-Mail: vincent.lizzi@taylorandfrancis.com

Web: www.tandfonline.com

Time zone: US Eastern

 

Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited,

registered in England under no. 1072954

 

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

  

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Information Classification: General