The SPARQL search function on data.europa.eu
Learn how to advance your data search with the SPARQL tool
Our data.europa portal offers a powerful tool for accessing and querying its vast repository of datasets: the SPARQL search. SPARQL, which stands for SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language, is a semantic query language designed for databases. It allows users to retrieve data stored in a Resource Description Framework (RDF) format more easily, which is possible with our datasets as all metadata is stored as RDF triples.
The SPARQL tool on data.europa.eu provides a machine-readable interface that enables users to perform complex queries on the metadata of datasets available on our portal. This tool is particularly valuable for researchers, data analysts, and developers who need to extract specific information from large datasets efficiently. One of the key features of the SPARQL endpoint is its ability to use prefixes to simplify queries. For example, instead of writing out the full Uniform Resource Identifier for a dataset, users can define a prefix and use it throughout their query. This makes the queries more readable and easier to manage. An example query that retrieves the first ten datasets classified under the DCAT might look like this:
To get inspired and assist users in using the tool, a sample SPARQL queries page is available. The page gives a short introduction to the SPARQL language, followed by examples like getting a list of all catalogues on data.europa.eu, or doing a thematic category search. One of the explained features is the OPTIONAL clause, which allows users to include optional patterns in their queries. This is convenient when dealing with incomplete data.
Overall, the SPARQL search function on data.europa.eu is a tool that enhances the accessibility and usability of European data. Start to use it today to find the data that you need for your research and become a data search expert.
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