SQL limit for XML type - sql-server

Question

I am actually working on a large database and I am querying the following data;
My Query:
SELECT ldd.LDistCD, ldd.LDistDescPay
FROM LDetail ldd
INNER JOIN LDist ld
ON ldd.ID = ld.ID
AND ld.ID = '019458'
AND ld.LDistType = 'F'
Result:
What I am doing next, is to loop across the results (27873) in my VB codes to concatenate the data in the following format;
LDistCD + '|' + LDistDescPay
Normally that would be a very time consuming time looping through all these rows. Hence to optimise the work, I am using the following query which should already concatenate the data for me;
SELECT stuff((SELECT ',' + ldd.LddLabourDistCD + '|' + ldd.LddLabourDistDescPay
FROM LDetail ldd
INNER JOIN LDist ld
ON ldd.ID = ld.ID
AND ld.ID = 019425 AND ld.LDistType = 'F'
FOR XML
PATH ('')), 1, 1, '')
Everything is working fine except for the result, whereby some data is being truncated!! Running the last query on MS SQL Server returns the concatenate result but it is not complete. I get the impression there's a limit to the result which is being exceeded.
Can anyone help on the issue please?
Difficult for me to upload the db or the result but just to tell you that the 27873 rows, when concatenated in one string, is not fitting in the result.

Answer 1

The truncation you are seeing is specific to SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). If you go to the Query menu and select Query Options..., then go to Results and then to Grid, you should see on the right side a section for "Maximum Characters Retrieved". The "Non XML data" has a max of 65,535 (which should also be the default) and the "XML data" is a drop-down with options:
1 MB
2 MB (default)
5 MB
Unlimited
Since the XML datatype can bring back more than 65,535 characters, you can convert your output to XML (this is only needed when using SSMS; client libraries should pull back the full string):
SELECT CONVERT(XML,
stuff((SELECT ',' + ldd.LddLabourDistCD + '|' + ldd.LddLabourDistDescPay
FROM LDetail ldd
INNER JOIN LDist ld
ON ldd.ID = ld.ID
AND ld.ID = 019425
AND ld.LDistType = 'F'
FOR XML PATH ('')), 1, 1, '')
)