Generate XML output

  • Hi

    I need to create xml files (to disc) by querying a SQL Server 2005 table. What is the best way to do this. In the end I would like to call this stored procedure from a Java/JSP application, but the help I'm looking for is how to do this in the best way from a stored procedure ?

    My idea was to find a way to generate this xml message in the stored procedure to become a string variable that would be possible to then print to a file in the file structure of the server.

    Hope someone can help me with some preffered approach for achieving this

    Best Regards

    Helmut

  • my first impression ?

    - just call the sproc have it return a rowset to a .net-dataset and the write the .net dataset to an xml-file.

    (I don't know the coffee language 😉 , but this is the vb.net variant I just know a little part of ... )

    btw UserInfods is the system.dataset object

    'GetAppSettings()

    dim SaveXMLFiledlg as new system.windows.forms.savefiledialog

    SaveXMLFiledlg.FileName = privXMLFileLocation

    SaveXMLFiledlg.Filter = "XML files (*.xml)|*.xml"

    Try

    Dim DialogResultCode As Integer

    DialogResultCode = SaveXMLFiledlg.ShowDialog(Me)

    If DialogResultCode = DialogResult.OK Then

    'DienstMededeling("XMLData aan het schrijven ...", True)

    privXMLFileLocation = SaveXMLFiledlg.FileName

    Dim oStream As New Xml.XmlTextWriter(privXMLFileLocation, System.Text.Encoding.Unicode)

    UserInfods.WriteXml(oStream, XmlWriteMode.WriteSchema)

    oStream.Close()

    End If

    Catch ex As Exception

    MessageBox.Show("Exception: " & ex.ToString())

    End Try

    - if you actualy need the query to return xml ..

    - you can use the for xml clause (check bol)

    - maybe an xml-datatyped returncolumn can help you out.

    ( i need to search a bit more on that)

    - and last but not least, a CLR proc may also help you out,

    but I'd prefer the correct action at the correct place.

    Johan

    Learn to play, play to learn !

    Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
    but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

    - How to post Performance Problems
    - How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

    - How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

    press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

    Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

    Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

  • I agree. We work with XML a lot out in the applications, but the database mostly just returns regular old result sets.

    However, if you really had to, in addition to the stuff mentioned above, you could look into the FOR XML clause. It's a bit of work to implement, but it'll get you where you want to go.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Hi and thanks for the answers..

    how can I use the "for XML output" to have the xml generated to be saved to a a fixed file ? Can I in some way have the generated XML to be assigned to a string variable (or similar) so that I can print the whole xml to a pre-defined string from within the stored procedure ?

    Would be great if someone had an example showing how to achieve something similar

    br

    Helmut

  • The only time I had to do this I was using an application to take the output from a stored procedure and then save it to a file. I haven't done it myself so I can't provide a personal example, but you could use bcp. Here's some examples from BOL:

    bcp bulktest..xTable out a-wn.out -N -T -Sserver_name\instance_name

    --or

    bcp AdventureWorks.Sales.Currency format nul -T -c -x -f Currency.xml

    If you combine that with a query that ouputs as XML using FOR XML, you should be good to go.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Try this:

    CREATE PROCEDURE up_ToXMLFile

    @FileName varchar(255),

    @xmlText xml

    AS

    DECLARE @FS int,

    @OLEResult int,

    @FileID int

    BEGIN TRY

    EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OACreate 'Scripting.FileSystemObject', @FS OUT

    END TRY

    BEGIN CATCH

    PRINT 'sp_OACreate (Scripting.FileSystemObject) fail. Try check sp_configure to enable. ' + 'Returns: ' + CONVERT(varchar, @OLEResult)

    END CATCH

    --Open a file

    BEGIN TRY

    execute @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FS, 'OpenTextFile', @FileID OUT, @FileName, 8, 1

    END TRY

    BEGIN CATCH

    PRINT 'sp_OACreate (OpenTextFile) fail. Try check sp_configure to enable. ' + 'Returns: ' + CONVERT(varchar, @OLEResult)

    END CATCH

    --Write xmldoc

    BEGIN TRY

    execute @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FileID, 'WriteLine', Null, ' '

    execute @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FileID, 'WriteLine', Null, @xmlText

    execute @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FileID, 'WriteLine', Null, ' '

    END TRY

    BEGIN CATCH

    PRINT 'sp_OACreate (WriteLine) fail. Try check sp_configure to enable. ' + 'Returns: ' + CONVERT(varchar, @OLEResult)

    END CATCH

    BEGIN TRY

    EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OADestroy @FileID

    EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OADestroy @FS

    END TRY

    BEGIN CATCH

    PRINT 'sp_OADestroy fail. Try check sp_configure to enable. ' + 'Returns: ' + CONVERT(varchar, @OLEResult)

    END CATCH

    go

    --Sample script

    declare @xmldoc xml

    set @xmldoc = (SELECT id, name, xtype, crdate FROM sysobjects ORDER BY id FOR XML AUTO, ELEMENTS)

    --SELECT @xmldoc

    EXEC up_ToxmlFile 'c:\myfile3.xml', @xmldoc

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply