Loading XML Data into SQL Server (SQL Spackle)

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Loading XML Data into SQL Server (SQL Spackle)

WayneS

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January 1, 2011 at 11:44 am

#244829

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Loading XML Data into SQL Server (SQL Spackle)
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004414 More actions · Answer 1

I have to admit, I've not yet had to enter the realm of loading XML files. But now I know where to go for a quick reference. Thanks for filling in the cracks on this one, Wayne!

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Kelsey Thornton SSCrazy Points: 2157 More actions · Answer 2

WayneS (1/1/2011)
If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

It's a nice article. Can you explain why do you use the OpenRowset function to load the data into a staging table?

Kelsey Thornton
MBCS CITP

SQL-DBA Hall of Fame Points: 3051 More actions · Answer 3

I wonder what others are doing about doing an example like this when the XML is from a web service. I run into that more often then XML files. I tend to write C# as a separate application, but are db pros accessing plain old XML web services in the CLR of SQL Server. I would like to see an example like that.

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 4

Kelsey Thornton (1/3/2011)
WayneS (1/1/2011)
If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
It's a nice article. Can you explain why do you use the OpenRowset function to load the data into a staging table?

Hi Kelsey,

Very good question. (I especially like the quote from my signature... :-)) In retrospect, I think I should have included this in the article. Thanks for bringing it up!

To answer your question - it's to load the entire XML file into one record into a table, where we can then work with it. The code in reference is:

OPENROWSET(BULK N'C:\SQL\cd_catalog.xml', SINGLE_BLOB)

Notice that we're using the "BULK" and "SINGLE_BLOB" options of OPENROWSET. From the OpenRowset BOL reference in the article, here is what these two options do:

BULK
Uses the BULK rowset provider for OPENROWSET to read data from a file.

SINGLE_BLOB
Returns the contents of data_file as a single-row, single-column rowset of type varbinary(max).

I'm sure that there are other ways to accomplish this (for instance, utilize the sp_OA procedures to start up Scripting.FileSystemObject, open the file, read it line by line, append what you just read into a variable, and when finished reading the file, close it and write the results to a table - and clean up all the objects that you had to create along the way). Currently, I believe that using OpenRowset with the BULK and SINGLE_BLOB options is going to be the easiest, and probably the fastest way.

A discussion of all the various ways to load an external file into a table would lead to an article of it's own - beyond the scope of this "SQL Spackle"! Therefore, I just used the quick/easy way to get the job done.

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 5

SQL-DBA (1/3/2011)
I wonder what others are doing about doing an example like this when the XML is from a web service. I run into that more often then XML files. I tend to write C# as a separate application, but are db pros accessing plain old XML web services in the CLR of SQL Server. I would like to see an example like that.

I think that this link will give you an example.

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

Kelsey Thornton SSCrazy Points: 2157 More actions · Answer 6

Thanks for this.

It's now clearer.

Kelsey Thornton
MBCS CITP

paul.marsh SSC Rookie Points: 41 More actions · Answer 7

decent article - good reference. but I feel a comment about the bcp utility should be added for those situations that warrant a different approach.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736494 More actions · Answer 8

Excellent discussion, Wayne. This is one that I will keep bookmarked.

gregg_dn SSCommitted Points: 1598 More actions · Answer 9

I'm getting an the following error when I try to run the OPENROWSET function:

DECLARE @CD TABLE (XMLData XML);

INSERT INTO @CD

SELECT *

FROM OPENROWSET(BULK N'C:\SQL\cd_catalog.xml', SINGLE_BlOB)

Msg 491, Level 16, State 1, Line 5

A correlation name must be specified for the bulk rowset in the from clause.

Is there something in the code beyond SINGLE_BLOB) ?

Thanks

G. Daniels

shad-873858 SSC Rookie Points: 30 More actions · Answer 10

gregg_dn (1/3/2011)
I'm getting an the following error when I try to run the OPENROWSET function:
DECLARE @CD TABLE (XMLData XML);
INSERT INTO @CD
SELECT *
FROM OPENROWSET(BULK N'C:\SQL\cd_catalog.xml', SINGLE_BlOB)
Msg 491, Level 16, State 1, Line 5
A correlation name must be specified for the bulk rowset in the from clause.
Is there something in the code beyond SINGLE_BLOB) ?
Thanks
G. Daniels

Yes, as the author noted, you have to provide an alias to the OpenRowset. In his example the author used rs. This will get you past that particular error. Good luck.

mtillman-921105 SSCertifiable Points: 7156 More actions · Answer 11

Excellent Wayne, thank you sir!

:smooooth:

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking

gregg_dn SSCommitted Points: 1598 More actions · Answer 12

gregg_dn

SSCommitted

Points: 1598

January 3, 2011 at 10:08 am

#1268553

Thanks!

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 13

Kelsey Thornton (1/3/2011)
Thanks for this.
It's now clearer.

Kelsey,

Good, I'm glad it all makes sense. If it hadn't, I would have failed.

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 14

paul.marsh (1/3/2011)
decent article - good reference. but I feel a comment about the bcp utility should be added for those situations that warrant a different approach.

Paul - thanks. But how would you use BCP to load an XML file in? (This is what this article is about...)

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2