How do I convert SQL to XML? - sql-server

Question

I am trying to output SQL as XML to match the exact format as the following
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ProrateImport xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://schema.aldi-
sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20151009">
<Prorates>
<Prorate>
<OrderTypeId>1</OrderTypeId>
<DeliveryDate>2015-10-12T00:00:00+02:00</DeliveryDate>
<DivNo>632</DivNo>
<ProrateUnit>1</ProrateUnit>
<ProrateProducts>
<ProrateProduct ProductCode="8467">
<ProrateItems>
<ProrateItem StoreNo="1">
<Quantity>5</Quantity>
</ProrateItem>
<ProrateItem StoreNo="2">
<Quantity>5</Quantity>
</ProrateItem>
<ProrateItem StoreNo="3">
<Quantity>5</Quantity>
</ProrateItem>
</ProrateItems>
</ProrateProduct>
</ProrateProducts>
</Prorate>
</Prorates>
</ProrateImport>
Here is my query:
SELECT
OrderTypeID,
DeliveryDate, DivNo,
ProrateUnit,
(SELECT
ProductOrder [#ProductCode],
(SELECT
ProrateItem [#StoreNo],
CAST(Quantity AS INT) [Quantity]
FROM
##Result2 T3
WHERE
T3.DivNo = T2.DivNo
AND T3.DivNo = T1.DivNo
AND T3.DeliveryDate = T2.DeliveryDate
AND T3.DeliveryDate = T1.DeliveryDate
AND T3.ProductOrder = t2.ProductOrder
FOR XML PATH('ProrateItem'), TYPE, ROOT('ProrateItems')
)
FROM
##Result2 T2
WHERE
T2.DivNo = T1.DivNo
AND T2.DeliveryDate = T1.DeliveryDate
FOR XML PATH('ProrateProduct'), TYPE, ROOT('ProrateProducts')
)
FROM
##Result2 T1
GROUP BY
OrderTypeID, DeliveryDate, DivNo, ProrateUnit
FOR XML PATH('Prorate'), TYPE, ROOT('Prorates')
How do I add in the Following and have the ProrateImport/20151009" change to the current date?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ProrateImport xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://schema.aldi-
sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20151009">
This is my first time I have used XML

Answer 1

Im not sure i understand. Did you create the first XML yourself and just need to add the last script?
DECLARE #XMLHEADER nvarchar(max)
SET #XMLHEADER = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ProrateImport xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/'+convert(varchar(8),getdate(),112)+'"
>'
select #xmlheader
And then you just need to add the rest of your output from your select statement.

Answer 2

There are several problems:
How to introduce namespaces?
How to introduce namespaces dynamically
How to add a <?xml ?> directive
two-leveled root (<ProrateImport><Prorate>)
namespaces
You have to use WITH XMLNAMESSPACES to introduce a namespace to your query.
Hint: the naked xmlns is introduced by DEFAULT, the xsi namespace will be introduced automatically by using ELEMENTS XSINIL:
WITH XMLNAMESPACES('http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema' AS xsd
,DEFAULT 'http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20151009')
SELECT 1 AS Dummy
FOR XML PATH('rowElement'), ELEMENTS XSINIL, ROOT('root')
The result
<root xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns="http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20151009"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<rowElement>
<Dummy>1</Dummy>
</rowElement>
</root>
Note: The namespaces must be stated literally. No computations, no variables!
dynamic namespaces
This is - out of the box - impossible. But you might use dynamically created SQL and use EXEC to get your result. Just create exactly the statement as above
DECLARE #cmd VARCHAR(MAX)=
'
WITH XMLNAMESPACES(''http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema'' AS xsd
,DEFAULT ''http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(8),GETDATE(),112) + ''')
SELECT 1 AS Dummy
FOR XML PATH(''rowElement''), ELEMENTS XSINIL, ROOT(''root'')';
PRINT #cmd
EXEC(#cmd);
the result
<root xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns="http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20171019"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<rowElement>
<Dummy>1</Dummy>
</rowElement>
</root>
directive
The directive cannot be introduced into XML. SQL-Server will omit any <?xml ?> directive! This can only be done on string level:
DECLARE #cmd VARCHAR(MAX)=
'
WITH XMLNAMESPACES(''http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema'' AS xsd
,DEFAULT ''http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(8),GETDATE(),112) + ''')
SELECT(
SELECT 1 AS Dummy
FOR XML PATH(''rowElement''), ELEMENTS XSINIL, ROOT(''root'')) AS MyResult';
CREATE TABLE #resultTable(MyXmlAsString VARCHAR(MAX))
INSERT INTO #resultTable(MyXmlAsString)
EXEC(#cmd);
SELECT '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>' + MyXmlAsString
FROM #resultTable;
The result
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<root xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns="http://schema.aldi-sued.com/Logistics/Shipping/ProrateImport/20171019"
xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<rowElement>
<Dummy>1</Dummy>
</rowElement>
</root>
two-leveled root
You can nest two FOR XML statements to achieve this:
WITH XMLNAMESPACES(DEFAULT 'blah')
SELECT
(
SELECT 1 AS Dummy
FOR XML PATH('rowElement'),ROOT('innerRoot'),TYPE
)
FOR XML PATH('outerRoot');
But the annoying part is, that namespaces are introduced by each sub-select over and over. Not wrong but very annoying! A well known Microsoft connect issue. Please sign in and vote for it! The result:
<outerRoot xmlns="blah">
<innerRoot xmlns="blah"> <!--Here's the second xmlns! -->
<rowElement>
<Dummy>1</Dummy>
</rowElement>
</innerRoot>
</outerRoot>
Your solution
After explained all this I'd suggest to create the XML without any namespace or declaration (what you are doing already!), then convert the result to NVARCHAR(MAX) and add the header and the closing footer on string level. This is ugly, but in your case the only way.
Hint: You will not be able to store the final result in a native XML type in SQL Server without loosing the directive.