SQL XML Replacing elements - sql

Question

Please help! Is it possible to replace elements within an xml field of an sql database with other elements. I have tried using .modify(replace value of) but I can only replace text within elements rather than nodes.
Ultimately I am trying to update an element which may or may not contain other elements, with another element (possibly of the same name) within an XML field. (I am using SQL Server 2008)
E.g:
<Root>
<Sub>
<Value1>
</Value1>
<Value2>
</Value2>
<Value3>
</Value3>
</Sub>
</Root>
Would be replaced by:
<Root>
<SubVERSION2>
<Value1>
</Value1>
<Value2>
</Value2>
<Value3>
</Value3>
</SubVERSION2>
</Root>
Any help would be very much appreciated!

Answer 1

You can recreate your XML:
declare #x xml = '<Root>
<Sub>
<Value1>1
</Value1>
<Value2>2
</Value2>
<Value3>3
</Value3>
</Sub>
</Root>'
select cast(('<Root>' +
cast(
(
select t.c.query('.')
from #x.nodes('Root/Sub/*') t(c)
for xml path(''), root('SubVERSION2')
) as nvarchar(max)) + '</Root>') as xml)
produces desired output:
<Root>
<SubVERSION2>
<Value1>1
</Value1>
<Value2>2
</Value2>
<Value3>3
</Value3>
</SubVERSION2>
</Root>

Answer 2

declare #T table(XMLCol xml)
insert into #T values ('
<Root>
<Sub>
<Value1></Value1>
<Value2></Value2>
<Value3></Value3>
</Sub>
</Root>')
update #T set
XMLCol = XMLCol.query('for $s in Root/Sub
return
<Root>
<SubVERSION2>
{ $s/* }
</SubVERSION2>
</Root>')
Result:
<Root>
<SubVERSION2>
<Value1 />
<Value2 />
<Value3 />
</SubVERSION2>
</Root>