How to get value from ntext (in xml format) column in sql - sql

Question

I have a column in my SQL database that is called Triggers_xml_data and its type is ntext. The column is in a xml format and I am trying to get a value from a certain part of the xml. I seen an example of this being done without a column like this:
declare #fileContent xml
set #fileContent ='<my:Header>
<my:Requestor>Mehrlein, Roswitha</my:Requestor>
<my:RequestorUserName>SJM\MehrlR01</my:RequestorUserName>
<my:RequestorEmail>RMehrlein#SJM.com</my:RequestorEmail>
<my:HRContact>Roswita Mehrlein, Beatrice Porta</my:HRContact>
<my:Entity>SJM Germany</my:Entity>
<my:Department>HR/Administration</my:Department>
<my:PositionTitle>Sales Representative</my:PositionTitle>
<my:JobDescription>x0lGQRQAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAeAQAyAAAAVgBAAAAA=</my:JobDescription>
<my:PositionDepartment>Sales</my:PositionDepartment>'
 
;WITH XMLNAMESPACES ('http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/infopath/2003/myXSD/2005-08-29T12-58-51' as my)
select #fileContent.value('(//my:PositionDepartment)[1]', 'varchar(255)')
But I want to select my column like this:
Declare #filevalue xml
select de.triggers_xml_data
from dbo.DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
But this is not working and I tried to use this #filecontent.value('(//value)[1]','varchar(255)') and making it equal the column value, I have tried casting it but I can't find a way to do this. Is this possible?
When I do this:
SELECT
CAST(
REPLACE(CAST(de.TRIGGERS_XML_DATA AS VARCHAR(MAX)), 'encoding="utf-16"', '')
AS XML).value('(triggers/triggerDefinition/config/item/value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(max)') as Item, de.ENVIRONMENT_ID
from dbo.DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
where de.ENVIRONMENT_ID = 19234819
I am getting a null value returned.
Here is an example of what my xml could look like:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<configuration xml:space="preserve">
<triggers>
<defined>true</defined>
<triggerDefinition>
<id>1</id>
<name>After successful deployment</name>
<userDescription/>
<isEnabled>true</isEnabled>
<pluginKey>com.atlassian.bamboo.triggers.atlassian-bamboo-triggers:afterSuccessfulDeployment</pluginKey>
<triggeringRepositories/>
<config>
<item>
<key>deployment.trigger.afterSuccessfulDeployment.triggeringEnvironmentId</key>
<value>19234819</value>
</item>
</config>
</triggerDefinition>
</triggers>
<bambooDelimiterParsingDisabled>true</bambooDelimiterParsingDisabled>
</configuration>

Answer 1

The XML, as you posted it, is not valid. Your code example does not work... It is not allowed to use a namespace prefix without a namespace declaration. Furthermore your example misses the closing Header-tag...
I corrected this...
DECLARE #yourTbl TABLE(ID INT, YourXML NTEXT);
INSERT INTO #yourTbl VALUES
(1,N'<my:Header xmlns:my="DummyUrl">
<my:Requestor>Mehrlein, Roswitha</my:Requestor>
<my:RequestorUserName>SJM\MehrlR01</my:RequestorUserName>
<my:RequestorEmail>RMehrlein#SJM.com</my:RequestorEmail>
<my:HRContact>Roswita Mehrlein, Beatrice Porta</my:HRContact>
<my:Entity>SJM Germany</my:Entity>
<my:Department>HR/Administration</my:Department>
<my:PositionTitle>Sales Representative</my:PositionTitle>
<my:JobDescription>x0lGQRQAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAeAQAyAAAAVgBAAAAA=</my:JobDescription>
<my:PositionDepartment>Sales</my:PositionDepartment>
</my:Header>');
--Lazy approach
SELECT ID
,CAST(CAST(YourXml AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) AS XML).value(N'(//*:PositionDepartment)[1]','nvarchar(max)')
FROM #yourTbl;
--explicit approach
WITH XMLNAMESPACES('DummyUrl' AS my)
SELECT ID
,CAST(CAST(YourXml AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) AS XML).value(N'(/my:Header/my:PositionDepartment)[1]','nvarchar(max)')
FROM #yourTbl
Some Background
If possible you should not store XML in other format than XML and further more one should avoid NTEXT, as it is depricated since SS2005!.
You have to cast NTEXT to NVARCHAR(MAX) first, than cast this to XML. The second will break, if the XML is not valid. That means: If the XML is really the way you posted it, this cannot work!
UPDATE: String-based approach, if XML does not work
If you cannot cast this to XML you might try this
--String based
WITH Casted AS
(
SELECT ID
,CAST(YourXML AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) AS TheXmlAsString
FROM #yourTbl
)
,WithPosition AS
(
SELECT Casted.*
,CHARINDEX(N'<my:PositionDepartment>',TheXmlAsString) + LEN(N'<my:PositionDepartment>') AS FirstLetter
FROM Casted
)
SELECT ID
,SUBSTRING(TheXmlAsString,FirstLetter,CHARINDEX('<',TheXmlAsString,FirstLetter)-FirstLetter)
FROM WithPosition
UPDATE 2
According to your edit the following returns a NULL value. This is good, because it shows, that the cast was successfull.
SELECT
CAST(
REPLACE(CAST(de.TRIGGERS_XML_DATA AS VARCHAR(MAX)), 'encoding="utf-16"', '')
AS XML).value('(triggers/triggerDefinition/config/item/value)[1]',
'NVARCHAR(max)') as Item, de.ENVIRONMENT_ID
from dbo.DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
where de.ENVIRONMENT_ID = 19234819
Try this (skip namespace with wildcard):
SELECT
CAST(
REPLACE(CAST(de.TRIGGERS_XML_DATA AS VARCHAR(MAX)), 'encoding="utf-16"', '')
AS XML).value('(*:triggers/*:triggerDefinition/*:config/*:item/*:value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(max)') as Item, de.ENVIRONMENT_ID
from dbo.DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
where de.ENVIRONMENT_ID = 19234819
And this should be even better:
SELECT
CAST(CAST(de.TRIGGERS_XML_DATA AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) AS XML).value('(*:triggers/*:triggerDefinition/*:config/*:item/*:value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(max)') as Item, de.ENVIRONMENT_ID
from dbo.DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
where de.ENVIRONMENT_ID = 19234819
UPDATE 3
I'd rather cut away the full declaration. Your posted example would go like this
DECLARE #DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT TABLE(ENVIRONMENT_ID INT, TRIGGERS_XML_DATA NTEXT);
INSERT INTO #DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT VALUES
(19234819,N'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<configuration xml:space="preserve">
<triggers>
<defined>true</defined>
<triggerDefinition>
<id>1</id>
<name>After successful deployment</name>
<userDescription/>
<isEnabled>true</isEnabled>
<pluginKey>com.atlassian.bamboo.triggers.atlassian-bamboo-triggers:afterSuccessfulDeployment</pluginKey>
<triggeringRepositories/>
<config>
<item>
<key>deployment.trigger.afterSuccessfulDeployment.triggeringEnvironmentId</key>
<value>19234819</value>
</item>
</config>
</triggerDefinition>
</triggers>
<bambooDelimiterParsingDisabled>true</bambooDelimiterParsingDisabled>
</configuration>');
WITH Casted AS
(
SELECT CAST(de.TRIGGERS_XML_DATA AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) AS XmlAsSting
FROM #DEPLOYMENT_ENVIRONMENT as de
where de.ENVIRONMENT_ID = 19234819
)
SELECT CAST(SUBSTRING(XmlAsSting,CHARINDEX('?>',XmlAsSting)+2,8000) AS XML).value('(/*:configuration/*:triggers/*:triggerDefinition/*:config/*:item/*:value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(max)') as Item
FROM Casted;