Why do the values of an XML file appear as attributes in an XQuery?

Question

I have a doubt with an XQuery code that I've written for a uni proyect. The code is as follows:

<results>
{
   for $item in doc("data.xml")//item
   return
      <country alpha-2="{$item/city/country}"> 
         <name> {doc("countries.xml")//country[@alpha-2=$item/city/country]/@name} </name>
         <cities>
            <city>
               <name> {$item/city/@name} </name>
               <temp unit="{$item/temperature/@unit}"> {$item/temperature/@value} </temp>
               <feels_like unit="{$item/feels_like/@unit}"> {$item/feels_like/@value} </feels_like>
               <humidity unit="{$item/humidity/@unit}"> {$item/humidity/@value} </humidity>
               <pressure unit="{$item/pressure/@unit}"> {$item/pressure/@value} </pressure>
               <clouds> {$item/clouds/@name} </clouds>
            </city>
         </cities>
      </country>
}
</results>

Which seems pretty straightforward, but when I compile it, the value of the new nodes appear as attributes, as shown on the following code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<results>
   <country alpha-2="LV">
      <name name="Latvia"/>
      <cities>
         <city>
            <name name="Zilupe"/>
            <temp unit="kelvin" value="281.15"/>
            <feels_like unit="kelvin" value="277.59"/>
            <humidity unit="%" value="86"/>
            <pressure unit="hPa" value="1023"/>
            <clouds name="overcast clouds"/>
         </city>
      </cities>
   </country>
   <country alpha-2="RU">
      <name name="Russian Federation"/>
      <cities>
         <city>
            <name name="Sebezh"/>
            <temp unit="kelvin" value="280.82"/>
            <feels_like unit="kelvin" value="277.37"/>
            <humidity unit="%" value="90"/>
            <pressure unit="hPa" value="1023"/>
            <clouds name="overcast clouds"/>
         </city>
      </cities>
   </country>
</results>

Does anyone know why this is happening? Im probably missing something obvious, but I cannot see it.

Answer 1

Since you are pulling out an attribute in the xpath, then that is what you are placing in the element. You need to surround the xpath with an xs:string()

<name> {doc("countries.xml")//country[@alpha-2=$item/city/country]/@name} </name>

Should be

<name> {xs:string(doc("countries.xml")//country[@alpha-2=$item/city/country]/@name)} </name>