Parsing XML Data Into SQL Server - sql

Question

I am struggling with importing XML Data into SQL Server 2016. I have tried a few things, but keep either getting errors or just no data is returned.
I have this XML Data stored in an XML file (limited the data because it is pretty sensitive:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<wd:Report_Data xmlns:wd="urn:com.workday.report/Worker_Details_-_EXPORT_-_Workplace">
<wd:Report_Entry>
<wd:Active_Status>0</wd:Active_Status>
<wd:Legal_Name_-_First_Name>Charlotte</wd:Legal_Name_-_First_Name>
<wd:Position>Executive Housekeeper I</wd:Position>
<wd:Worker_Management_Level>Supervisor</wd:Worker_Management_Level>
<wd:continuous_service_date>1979-04-29-08:00</wd:continuous_service_date>
<wd:Hire_Date>1979-04-29-08:00</wd:Hire_Date>
<wd:termination_date>2019-12-22-08:00</wd:termination_date>
<wd:Anniversary_Month>04</wd:Anniversary_Month>
<wd:Years_of_Service>40</wd:Years_of_Service>
<wd:Employee_Type>Hotel</wd:Employee_Type>
<wd:Time_Type>Full Time</wd:Time_Type>
<wd:Pay_Rate_Type>Salary</wd:Pay_Rate_Type>
<wd:Marital_Status>Single</wd:Marital_Status>
</wd:Report_Entry>
<wd:Report_Entry>
<wd:Active_Status>0</wd:Active_Status>
<wd:Legal_Name_-_First_Name>Robert</wd:Legal_Name_-_First_Name>
<wd:Cost_Center_-_Name>Electronics</wd:Cost_Center_-_Name>
<wd:Work_Address_-_State_Province>Missouri</wd:Work_Address_-_State_Province>
<wd:Position>Manager Of Voice Networks</wd:Position>
<wd:Worker_Management_Level>Manager</wd:Worker_Management_Level>
<wd:continuous_service_date>1980-02-25-08:00</wd:continuous_service_date>
<wd:Hire_Date>1980-02-25-08:00</wd:Hire_Date>
<wd:termination_date>2020-03-22-07:00</wd:termination_date>
<wd:Anniversary_Month>02</wd:Anniversary_Month>
<wd:Years_of_Service>40</wd:Years_of_Service>
<wd:Employee_Type>Corporate</wd:Employee_Type>
<wd:Time_Type>Full Time</wd:Time_Type>
<wd:Pay_Rate_Type>Salary</wd:Pay_Rate_Type>
<wd:Marital_Status>Married</wd:Marital_Status>
</wd:Report_Entry>
</wd:Report_Data>
I have this code that I am trying to use, but keep getting just an empty result:
SELECT
XMLCol.ReportEntry.query('Active_Status').value('.', 'VARCHAR(20)') AS ActiveStatus
FROM
(SELECT
CAST(XMLCol AS XML)
FROM
OPENROWSET(BULK '\\afcn2011\root\DATA\VisualCron\Employee Export\EmployeeExport.xml', SINGLE_BLOB) AS T(XMLCol)
) AS T(XMLCol)
CROSS APPLY
XMLCol.nodes('Report_Data/Report_Entry') AS XMLCol(ReportEntry);

Answer 1

You need to respect and include the XML namespace defined in your document.
Try something like this:
-- define the namespace and give it a prefix - here "wd"
;WITH XMLNAMESPACES ('urn:com.workday.report/Worker_Details_-_EXPORT_-_Workplace' as wd)
SELECT
-- you need to include namespace prefix when referring to the XML element
-- also: is "VARCHAR(20)" really the best datatype?? Looks more like "INT" to me ...
XMLCol.ReportEntry.value('(wd:Active_Status/text())[1]', 'VARCHAR(20)') AS ActiveStatus
FROM
(SELECT
CAST(XMLCol AS XML)
FROM
OPENROWSET(BULK '\\afcn2011\root\DATA\VisualCron\Employee Export\EmployeeExport.xml', SINGLE_BLOB) AS T(XMLCol)
) AS T(XMLCol)
CROSS APPLY
-- you need to include namespace prefix in your XPath expression
XMLCol.nodes('/wd:Report_Data/wd:Report_Entry') AS XMLCol(ReportEntry);