Question

Is there a way to cause the result set of a SQL Server stored procedure (or any result set, after the fact) to be encoded in XML format?

I want the result set to be encoded in XML as if the FOR XML RAW clause was used during selection.

However the complex stored procedure logic and its internal SELECT statements should not be modified to return XML because the procedure is used for its standard/non-XML result set most of the time.

Update: Emphasis on the fact I’m looking for an answer in the SQL Server environment – the
results should be returned as if SQL Server has directly encoded them itself, as XML, just like it does when using the built-in XML features like the FOR XML clause.

Answer 1

You would insert the data from the SP into a temp table, then select from that FOR XML

This won’t work if the SP itself already does a INSERT .. EXEC SPROC because you cannot nest them

Working examples

use tempdb;
create proc giveme
as
select a = 1, b = GETDATE()
union all
select 2, b = '20100101'

Using INSERT.. EXEC

declare @t table (a int, b datetime)
insert @t
exec giveme
select * from @t for xml raw

Using OPENQUERY

exec sp_addlinkedserver 'localhost'

exec sp_serveroption @server = 'localhost' 
   ,@optname = 'DATA ACCESS' 
   ,@optvalue = 'TRUE' 

select *
from openquery(localhost, 'exec tempdb..giveme')
for xml raw