How do you read XML column in SQL Server 2008?

Question

I have never used XML in SQL Server 2008, I need to extract a list of customers into a variable table how do you do it?

Given that I have a column called Custo

Answer 1

Try something like this:

SELECT
   Cust.value('(ItemId)[1]', 'int') AS 'ItemID',
   Cust.value('(Value)[1]', 'Varchar(50)') AS 'Customer Name'
FROM
   dbo.Sales.CustomerList.nodes('/ArrayOfCustomers/Customer') AS AOC(Cust)

That should give you an output something like this:

ItemID  Customer Name
   1         Mr Smith
   2         Mr Bloggs