Returning multiple rows from querying XML column in SQL Server (Revisited)

Question

The Answers to the Question Returning multiple rows from querying XML column in SQL Server 2008 were helpful. But I have an XML data set with a slightly different structure and need help getting valid query output.

Here's the code that demonstrates my problem.

DECLARE @XML_In XML = '
<ROOT>
  <PROCESS_RESULT>
    <CATEGORY>ABC</CATEGORY>
    <STATUS>ERROR</STATUS>
    <PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
      <MESSAGE_TEXT>ABC Process Category Error</MESSAGE_TEXT>
    </PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
  </PROCESS_RESULT>
  <PROCESS_RESULT>
    <CATEGORY>XYZ</CATEGORY>
    <STATUS>ERROR</STATUS>
    <PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
      <MESSAGE_TEXT>XYZ Process Category Error</MESSAGE_TEXT>
    </PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
  </PROCESS_RESULT>
</ROOT>'

DECLARE @XMLTab TABLE ( MyXMLTable XML)
INSERT INTO @XMLTab ( MyXMLTable ) VALUES( @XML_In )
SELECT MyXMLTable FROM @XMLTab

SELECT b.query('data(CATEGORY)')     AS CATEGORY
      ,b.query('data(STATUS)')       AS STATUS
      ,a.query('data(MESSAGE_TEXT)') AS MESSAGE_TEXT
FROM  @XMLTab
       CROSS APPLY 
       MyXMLTable.nodes('ROOT/PROCESS_RESULT/PROCESS_RESULT_MSG') x(a)
       CROSS APPLY
       MyXMLTable.nodes('ROOT/PROCESS_RESULT') y(b)

The two queries return the following outputs. The first is fine. The second is obviously incorrect.

How might I change the SELECT statement to accurately output the data, i.e., relating the MESSAGE_TEXT values to the proper CATEGORY and STATUS key?

Answer 1

You don't need to add another CROSS APPLY just to get a different level from the XML structure. Just specify the full path in the .value() function, relative to the path specified in the .nodes() function:

DECLARE @XML_In XML = '
<ROOT>
  <PROCESS_RESULT>
    <CATEGORY>ABC</CATEGORY>
    <STATUS>ERROR</STATUS>
    <PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
      <MESSAGE_TEXT>ABC Process Category Error</MESSAGE_TEXT>
    </PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
  </PROCESS_RESULT>
  <PROCESS_RESULT>
    <CATEGORY>XYZ</CATEGORY>
    <STATUS>ERROR</STATUS>
    <PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
      <MESSAGE_TEXT>XYZ Process Category Error</MESSAGE_TEXT>
    </PROCESS_RESULT_MSG>
  </PROCESS_RESULT>
</ROOT>'

DECLARE @XMLTab TABLE ( MyXMLTable XML)
INSERT INTO @XMLTab ( MyXMLTable ) VALUES( @XML_In )

SELECT tab.col.query('data(CATEGORY)')     AS [CATEGORY],
       tab.col.query('data(STATUS)')       AS [STATUS],
       tab.col.query('data(PROCESS_RESULT_MSG/MESSAGE_TEXT)') AS [MESSAGE_TEXT]
FROM  @XMLTab
       CROSS APPLY
       MyXMLTable.nodes('ROOT/PROCESS_RESULT') tab(col);

Returns:

CATEGORY    STATUS        MESSAGE_TEXT
---------   -----------   ------------
ABC         ERROR         ABC Process Category Error
XYZ         ERROR         XYZ Process Category Error

Also, when naming a result set field via AS, it is best to enclose it in square-brackets (as shown in the example code above).

Answer 2

After a day of spinning my wheels on this problem, but in SQL 2014, a co-worker showed me this:

    DECLARE @XmlReportParameters NVARCHAR (MAX) = N'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<Customers>
    <Customer>
        <Name>Sri Patel</Name>
        <FavColors>
            <FavColor>Red</FavColor>
            <FavColor>Blue</FavColor>
            <FavColor>Green</FavColor>
        </FavColors>
    </Customer>
    <Customer>
        <Name>Jane Doe</Name>
        <FavColors>
            <FavColor>Violet</FavColor>
            <FavColor>Mauve</FavColor>
        </FavColors>
    </Customer>
</Customers>
'

DECLARE @doc XML;
DECLARE @XmlTable TABLE
(
    XmlColumn XML NULL
);

SET @doc = @XmlReportParameters;

INSERT INTO @XmlTable
    ( XmlColumn )
VALUES
    ( @doc )

-- Wrong Way
SELECT
    tbl.col.value('(Name)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')      AS CustomerName
   ,tbl.col.value('(FavColors/FavColor)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')       AS FavColor
FROM
    @XmlTable   xt
    CROSS APPLY XmlColumn.nodes('/Customers/Customer') tbl(col);

-- Still wrong (but I'm not sure why)
SELECT
    tbl.col.value('(../Name)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')      AS CustomerName
   ,tbl.col.value('(FavColor)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')       AS FavColor
FROM
    @XmlTable   xt
    CROSS APPLY XmlColumn.nodes('/Customers/Customer/FavColors') tbl(col);

-- Right Way
SELECT
    tbl.col.value('(../../Name)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')      AS CustomerName
   ,tbl.col.value('(.)[1]', 'nvarchar(max)')       AS FavColor
FROM
    @XmlTable   xt
    CROSS APPLY XmlColumn.nodes('/Customers/Customer/FavColors/FavColor') tbl(col);

Returns:

CustomerName FavColor
------------ ----------
Sri Patel    Red
Jane Doe     Violet

CustomerName FavColor
------------ ----------
Sri Patel    Red
Jane Doe     Violet

CustomerName FavColor
------------ ----------
Sri Patel    Red
Sri Patel    Blue
Sri Patel    Green
Jane Doe     Violet
Jane Doe     Mauve

I didn't find anywhere else that told me I have to work "up" from the nodes path, I cannot work my way "down" to sub parts.