Question

Hi I have the following SQL to try and parse xml and extract the “OrderNumber”. The problem i have is this xml (which i have no control over) has a wierd xml namespace. I changed it to abc.com just for this example, but its something else. Anyway, when that namepace is present, the T-SQL returns a null in the result. So it doesn’t play nicely with the namespace. If I remove the namespace manually or doing a search and replace via T-SQL, it works just fine. I guess i can just do a search and replace but that solution just bothers me. Was wondering if anyone else nows a better way around this? And maybe an explanation of why it doesn’t like namespaces? Would really appreciate some advice. Thanks!

Declare  @Transmission xml

set  @Transmission = '<Transmission>
  <Requests>
    <SubmitOrdersRequest>
      <Orders>
        <Order xmlns="http://www.abc.com">
          <OrderNumber>123</OrderNumber>
        </Order>
      </Orders>
    </SubmitOrdersRequest>
  </Requests>
</Transmission>'

select @Transmission.value('(Transmission/Requests/SubmitOrdersRequest/Orders/Order/OrderNumber/text())[1]', 'varchar(100)')

Answer 1

Children nodes inherit the namespace of the parent, unless given a namespace themselves. you have to define namespaces using WITH XMLNAMESPACES, and properly qualify node names using them.

Declare  @Transmission xml
set  @Transmission = '<Transmission>
  <Requests>
    <SubmitOrdersRequest>
      <Orders>
        <Order xmlns="http://www.abc.com">
          <OrderNumber>123</OrderNumber>
        </Order>
      </Orders>
    </SubmitOrdersRequest>
  </Requests>
</Transmission>';

with xmlnamespaces('http://www.abc.com' as ns1)
select @Transmission.value('(Transmission/Requests/SubmitOrdersRequest/Orders/ns1:Order/ns1:OrderNumber/text())[1]', 'varchar(100)')

Note: The reason for namespaces is that names are contextual things. Order can mean in your case a purchase but in another context it could mean display rack order. The namespace gives the name more uniqueness.