Read XML file in SQL Server 2008

Question

How can I read an XML file and store the data in XML to our table in SQL Server 2008?

Answer 1

This parse node based XML. It's different to read attributes but it isn't as common

I had this lying around as a demo with 3 slightly different XPath queries

DECLARE @foo XML

SELECT @foo = N'
<harrys>
    <harry>
        <fish>0.015000000000</fish>
        <bicycle>2008-10-31T00:00:00+01:00</bicycle>
        <foo>ü</foo>
    </harry>
    <harry>
        <fish>0.025000000000</fish>
        <bicycle>2008-08-31T00:00:00+01:00</bicycle>
        <foo>ä</foo>
    </harry>
</harrys>
'

SELECT
    CAST(CAST(y.item.query('data(fish)') AS varchar(30)) AS float),
    CAST(LEFT(CAST(y.item.query('data(bicycle)') AS char(25)), 10) AS smalldatetime),
    CAST(y.item.query('data(foo)') AS varchar(25))
FROM
    @foo.nodes('/*') x(item)
    CROSS APPLY
    x.item.nodes('./*') AS y(item)

SELECT
    CAST(CAST(x.item.query('data(fish)') AS varchar(30)) AS float),
    CAST(LEFT(CAST(x.item.query('data(bicycle)') AS char(25)), 10) AS smalldatetime),
    CAST(x.item.query('data(foo)') AS varchar(25))
FROM
    @foo.nodes('harrys/harry') x(item)

SELECT
    CAST(CAST(y.item.query('data(fish)') AS varchar(30)) AS float),
    CAST(LEFT(CAST(y.item.query('data(bicycle)') AS char(25)), 10) AS smalldatetime),
    CAST(y.item.query('data(foo)') AS varchar(25))
FROM
    @foo.nodes('/harrys') x(item)
    CROSS APPLY
    x.item.nodes('./harry') AS y(item)

Answer 2

I have tried it with above answer. Try it,

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
- <FundingSought xml:lang="en">
- <Fund>
  <FundName>sdfdsfd</FundName> 
  <FundValue>1</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>dfdgfdg</FundName> 
  <FundValue>2</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>fghghh</FundName> 
  <FundValue>3</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>sdfdgg</FundName> 
  <FundValue>4</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>hgfhh</FundName> 
  <FundValue>5</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>fghgh</FundName> 
  <FundValue>6</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>ghhhh</FundName> 
  <FundValue>7</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
- <Fund>
  <FundName>hfghh</FundName> 
  <FundValue>8</FundValue> 
  </Fund>
  </FundingSought>

SQL:

CREATE TABLE #XmlImportTest(
xmlFileName VARCHAR(300) NOT NULL,
xml_data XML NOT NULL
)
GO

DECLARE @xmlFileName VARCHAR(300)

SELECT @xmlFileName = 'C:\FundingSought.xml'

--– dynamic sql is just so we can use @xmlFileName variable in OPENROWSET

EXEC('INSERT INTO #XmlImportTest(xmlFileName, xml_data)

SELECT ''' + @xmlFileName + ''', xmlData
FROM(
SELECT *
FROM OPENROWSET (BULK ''' + @xmlFileName + ''', SINGLE_BLOB) AS XMLDATA
) AS FileImport (XMLDATA)
')
GO


DECLARE @foo XML


SET @foo = (SELECT xml_data from #XmlImportTest)


SELECT
    CAST(y.item.query('data(FundName)') AS varchar(30)),
    CAST(y.item.query('data(FundValue)') AS char(25))

FROM
    @foo.nodes('/*') x(item)
    CROSS APPLY
    x.item.nodes('./*') AS y(item)

Answer 3

I'll just add an answer so that you know you've got another option. You can also use OPENXML to read xml data. This was the way to do it in older versions of SQL Server. It's not perfect, but it works. And it's easy to abuse :-). Just compare the plans of two identical xmls treated with XPATH queries (gbn's answer) compared to OPENXML or OPENROWSET. I will use an example from the MSDN article now, but you can get the full picture:

DECLARE @idoc int

DECLARE @doc varchar(1000)

SET @doc ='

<ROOT>

<Customer CustomerID="VINET" ContactName="Paul Henriot">

<Order CustomerID="VINET" EmployeeID="5" OrderDate="1996-07-04T00:00:00">

<OrderDetail OrderID="10248" ProductID="11" Quantity="12"/>

<OrderDetail OrderID="10248" ProductID="42" Quantity="10"/>

</Order>

</Customer>

</ROOT>'

--Create an internal representation of the XML document.

EXEC sp_xml_preparedocument @idoc OUTPUT, @doc

-- Execute a SELECT statement that uses the OPENXML rowset provider.

SELECT *

FROM OPENXML (@idoc, '/ROOT/Customer',1)

WITH (CustomerID varchar(10),

ContactName varchar(20))