SQL Server 2014 - FOR XML AUTO avoid automatic node nesting - sql-server

Question

I'm trying to build some query to export data in XML and I build this query:
select
[invoice].*,
[rows].*,
[payment].payerID,
[items].picture
from InvoicesHeader [invoice]
join InvoicesRows [rows] on [rows].invoiceID=[invoice].invoiceID
join Payments [payments] on [payments].paymentID=[invoice].paymentID
join Items [items] on [items].itemID=[rows].itemID
FOR XML Auto, ROOT ('invoices'), ELEMENTS
and I got something like this as result
<invoices>
<invoice>
<ID>82</ID>
<DocType>R</DocType>
<DocYear>2017</DocYear>
<DocNumber>71</DocNumber>
<IssueDate>2017-07-17T15:17:30.237</IssueDate>
<OrderID>235489738019</OrderID>
...
<payments>
<payerID>3234423f33</payerID>
<rows>
<ID>163</ID>
<ItemID>235489738019</ItemID>
<Quantity>2</Quantity>
<Price>1</Price>
<VATCode>22</VATCode>
<Color>-</Color>
<Size></Size>
<SerialNumber></SerialNumber>
<items>
<picture>http://nl.imgbb.com/AAOSwOdpXyB4I.JPG</picture>
</items>
</rows>
....
</payments>
</invoice>
</invoices>
while I would like to have something like this where
[rows] is childnode of invoice and not of payments
<invoices>
<invoice>
<ID>82</ID>
<DocType>R</DocType>
<DocYear>2017</DocYear>
<DocNumber>71</DocNumber>
<IssueDate>2017-07-17T15:17:30.237</IssueDate>
<OrderID>235489738019</OrderID>
...
<payments>
<payerID>3234423f33</payerID>
</payments>
<rows>
<ID>163</ID>
<ItemID>235489738019</ItemID>
<Quantity>2</Quantity>
<Price>1</Price>
<VATCode>22</VATCode>
<Color>-</Color>
<Size></Size>
<SerialNumber></SerialNumber>
<items>
<picture>http://nl.imgbb.com/AAOSwOdpXyB4I.JPG</picture>
</items>
</rows>
....
</invoice>
</invoices>
seen some solution where there are many
FOR XML AUTO
put all together, but the data here comes from connected table, would be a pity to re-query 2-3 times same values
how can achieve it?
Thanks

Answer 1

Try changing the select order around to this;
select
[invoice].*,
[payment].payerID,
[items].picture,
[rows].*
from InvoicesHeader [invoice]
join InvoicesRows [rows] on [rows].invoiceID=[invoice].invoiceID
join Payments [payments] on [payments].paymentID=[invoice].paymentID
join Items [items] on [items].itemID=[rows].itemID
FOR XML Auto, ROOT ('invoices'), ELEMENTS

Answer 2

well, found that have to use FOR XML PATH instead and add the other table as subquery with each FOR XML PATH as follows:
select
[invoice].*,
p.payerID,
(select r.* from InvoiceRows r where r.invoiceID=i.invoiceID for XML PATH ('rows'), type)
from InvoicesHeader i
join payment p on i.paymentID=p.paymentID
FOR XML PATH('invoice'), ROOT ('invoices'), ELEMENTS