SPARQL Fundamentals and Practical Querying Training Course

Introduction to RDF and SPARQL

• RDF basics: triples, IRIs, literals, and blank nodes
• Namespaces and QName usage in queries
• Overview of SPARQL query forms and use cases

Getting Started with a SPARQL Environment

• Installing and running Apache Jena Fuseki or RDF4J Server
• Loading sample RDF datasets into a triple store
• Using a SPARQL client or workbench to run queries

Basic SPARQL SELECT Queries

• Writing triple patterns and retrieving bindings
• Using DISTINCT, LIMIT, and OFFSET
• Sorting and projecting results with ORDER BY

Filtering and Solution Modifiers

• Applying FILTER expressions and built-in functions
• Using OPTIONAL for partial matching
• Combining patterns with UNION and MINUS

Advanced Querying: Aggregation and Subqueries

• GROUP BY, COUNT, SUM, MIN, MAX and HAVING usage
• Nested queries and subselect patterns
• Working with expressions and bind() to compute values

Constructing and Transforming RDF

• CONSTRUCT queries to build new RDF graphs
• DESCRIBE and ASK query forms and when to use them
• Using SPARQL UPDATE for data modification (INSERT/DELETE)

Working with Graphs and Named Graphs

• Quads and the GRAPH keyword
• Managing and querying named graphs
• Best practices for organizing dataset graphs

Federated Queries and Remote Endpoints

• Using SERVICE to query remote SPARQL endpoints
• Performance considerations and timeouts
• Strategies for combining local and remote data

Practical Lab: Real-World SPARQL Tasks

• Querying DBpedia and other public datasets for insights
• Building reusable query templates and views
• Debugging common query errors and optimising performance

Summary and Next Steps