Get the names of attributes from an element in a SQL XML column

Question

For this xml (in a SQL 2005 XML column):

 1
 
 

         


        

Answer 1

DECLARE @xml as xml
DECLARE @path as varchar(max)
DECLARE @index int, @count int

SET @xml = 
'
 1
 
 
'



SELECT @index = 1

SET @count = @xml.query('count(/doc/b/@*)').value('.','int')

WHILE @index <= @count 
BEGIN
    SELECT  @xml.value('local-name((/doc/b/@*[sql:variable("@index")])[1])', 'varchar(max)')
    SET @index = @index + 1
END

for element 'b'

it returns

• ba
• bb
• bc

You can build a loop to get attributes for each element in the xml.

BTW The XML in your sample should be closed at closing doc tag.