XML Data (SQL Server)

SQL Server provides a powerful platform for developing rich applications for semi-structured data management. Support for XML is integrated into all the components in SQL Server and includes the following:

• The xml data type. XML values can be stored natively in an xml data type column that can be typed according to a collection of XML schemas, or left untyped. You can index the XML column.

• The ability to specify an XQuery query against XML data stored in columns and variables of the xml type.

• Enhancements to OPENROWSET to allow bulk loading of XML data.

• The FOR XML clause, to retrieve relational data in XML format.

• The OPENXML function, to retrieve XML data in relational format.