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Columns without a Name

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Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance

Any column without a name will be inlined. For example, computed columns or nested scalar queries that don't specify column alias will generate columns without any name. If the column is of xml type, the content of that data type instance is inserted. Otherwise, the column content is inserted as a text node.

SELECT 2 + 2
FOR XML PATH;

Produce this XML. By default, for each row in the rowset, a <row> element is generated in the resulting XML. This is the same as RAW mode.

<row>4</row>

The following query returns a three-column rowset. The third column without a name has XML data. The PATH mode inserts an instance of the xml type.

USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
SELECT ProductModelID,
       Name,
       Instructions.query(
           'declare namespace MI="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2004/07/adventure-works/ProductModelManuInstructions";
            /MI:root/MI:Location
           ')
FROM Production.ProductModel
WHERE ProductModelID=7
FOR XML PATH ;
GO

This is the partial result:

<row>
  <ProductModelID>7</ProductModelID>
  <Name>HL Touring Frame</Name>
  <MI:Location ...LocationID="10" ...></MI:Location>
  <MI:Location ...LocationID="20" ...></MI:Location>
  ...
</row>

See also