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.

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