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Specifying XML values as parameters

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If a query requires a parameter whose value is an XML string, developers can supply that value using an instance of the SqlXml data type. There really are no tricks; XML columns in SQL Server accept parameter values in exactly the same way as other data types.

Example

The following console application creates a new table in the AdventureWorks database. The new table includes a column named SalesID and an XML column named SalesInfo.

Note

The AdventureWorks sample database is not installed by default when you install SQL Server. You can install it by running SQL Server Setup.

The example prepares a SqlCommand object to insert a row in the new table. A saved file provides the XML data needed for the SalesInfo column.

To create the file needed for the example to run, create a new text file in the same folder as your project. Name the file MyTestStoreData.xml. Open the file in Notepad and copy and paste the following text:

<StoreSurvey xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2004/07/adventure-works/StoreSurvey">  
  <AnnualSales>300000</AnnualSales>  
  <AnnualRevenue>30000</AnnualRevenue>  
  <BankName>International Bank</BankName>  
  <BusinessType>BM</BusinessType>  
  <YearOpened>1970</YearOpened>  
  <Specialty>Road</Specialty>  
  <SquareFeet>7000</SquareFeet>  
  <Brands>3</Brands>  
  <Internet>T1</Internet>  
  <NumberEmployees>2</NumberEmployees>  
</StoreSurvey>  

using System;  
using System.Data;  
using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient;  
using System.Xml;  
using System.Data.SqlTypes;  
  
class Class1  
{  
    static void Main()  
    {  
        using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(GetConnectionString()))  
       {  
        connection.Open();  
        //  Create a sample table (dropping first if it already  
        //  exists.)  
  
        string commandNewTable =   
            "IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM dbo.sysobjects " +   
            "WHERE id = " +  
                  "object_id(N'[dbo].[XmlDataTypeSample]') " +   
            "AND OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsUserTable') = 1) " +   
            "DROP TABLE [dbo].[XmlDataTypeSample];" +   
            "CREATE TABLE [dbo].[XmlDataTypeSample](" +   
            "[SalesID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL, " +   
            "[SalesInfo] [xml])";  
        SqlCommand commandAdd =   
                   new SqlCommand(commandNewTable, connection);  
        commandAdd.ExecuteNonQuery();  
        string commandText =   
            "INSERT INTO [dbo].[XmlDataTypeSample] " +   
            "([SalesInfo] ) " +   
            "VALUES(@xmlParameter )";  
        SqlCommand command =   
                  new SqlCommand(commandText, connection);  
  
        //  Read the saved XML document as a   
        //  SqlXml-data typed variable.  
        SqlXml newXml =   
            new SqlXml(new XmlTextReader("MyTestStoreData.xml"));  
  
        //  Supply the SqlXml value for the value of the parameter.  
        command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@xmlParameter", newXml);  
  
        int result = command.ExecuteNonQuery();  
        Console.WriteLine(result + " row was added.");  
        Console.WriteLine("Press Enter to continue.");  
        Console.ReadLine();  
    }  
  }  
  
    private static string GetConnectionString()  
    {  
        // To avoid storing the connection string in your code,              
        // you can retrieve it from a configuration file.   
        return "Data Source=(local);Integrated Security=true;" +  
        "Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks; ";  
    }  
}

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