Improve Your XML Skills in SQL Server

Robert Volk

What? The world uses JSON everywhere, what’s this eXtensible Markup Language stuff? Well, XML is deeply embedded in SQL Server, and it’s time you learned how to mine it. This Lightning Talk will introduce how to query XML effectively, especially when dealing with execution plans. Learn how to slice, dice, and make easy work of the interesting tidbits of information buried within those angle brackets. Stop doing LIKE matches on XML text! Find exactly what you need using XML methods like query, nodes, and exist! Modify your XML to change or remove parts you don’t like. Shred your XML into relational data, and use FOR XML to create XML on the fly. You can even index your XML for better performance, and get all FLWOR-y with expressions to restructure XML like a super-smart find and replace. And if you’re tired of having to compare query plans 2 at a time, using the graphical interface, get ready to compare all of them, using 1 query!