Question

I’m trying to query using a XPath expression. My Microsoft SQL Server 2008 RC2 knows the functions value() and query() but is missing the nodes() method.

Example:

SELECT Data.nodes('/root/ids/id') As id FROM myTable

Data is a XML column in the table myTable.

Is it required to install the nodes() method somehow?

Answer 1

nodes can return more than one row so you don’t call it as though it returns a scalar

with myTable as
(
SELECT CAST('<root><ids><id>1</id><id>2</id></ids></root>' AS XML) AS Data
)

SELECT x.value('.', 'int')
FROM   myTable
       CROSS APPLY Data.nodes('/root/ids/id') x(x)