SQL Server

XML Sort by Content

See more XML Examples

Demonstrates the SortByContent method.

The input XML, available at http://www.chilkatsoft.com/data/fruitSort2.xml, is this:

<root>
    <fruits>
        <apples>
            <apple>fuji</apple>
            <apple>gala</apple>
            <apple>granny smith</apple>
            <apple>honeycrisp</apple>
            <apple>mcintosh</apple>
        </apples>
        <fruit>banana</fruit>
        <fruit>blackberry</fruit>
        <fruit>blueberry</fruit>
        <fruit>orange</fruit>
        <fruit>pear</fruit>
    </fruits>
</root>

SQL Server

-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    -- Important: Do not use nvarchar(max).  See the warning about using nvarchar(max).
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    DECLARE @success int
    SELECT @success = 0

    DECLARE @xml int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.Xml', @xml OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    DECLARE @xSortRoot int

    -- The sample input XML is available at http://www.chilkatsoft.com/data/fruitSort2.xml
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xml, 'LoadXmlFile', @success OUT, 'fruitSort2.xml'
    IF @success <> 1
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @xml, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @xml
        RETURN
      END

    -- Sort the direct children under the "fruits" node by tag:
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xml, 'FindChild', @xSortRoot OUT, 'fruits'

    -- Sort in ascending order.
    DECLARE @bAscending int
    SELECT @bAscending = 1
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xSortRoot, 'SortByContent', NULL, @bAscending

    -- Show the result:
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xml, 'GetXml', @sTmp0 OUT
    PRINT @sTmp0

    -- Note:  The "apples" node contains child nodes, but its 
    -- text content is 0-length (empty).  Therefore, when sorting in
    -- ascending order, it will be positioned before the direct
    -- children containing non-empty content.

    -- <root>
    --     <fruits>
    --         <apples>
    --             <apple>granny smith</apple>
    --             <apple>gala</apple>
    --             <apple>fuji</apple>
    --             <apple>mcintosh</apple>
    --             <apple>honeycrisp</apple>
    --         </apples>
    --         <fruit>banana</fruit>
    --         <fruit>blackberry</fruit>
    --         <fruit>blueberry</fruit>
    --         <fruit>orange</fruit>
    --         <fruit>pear</fruit>
    --     </fruits>
    -- </root>

    -- Sort the direct children under the "apples" node:
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xSortRoot, 'FindChild2', @success OUT, 'apples'

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xSortRoot, 'SortByContent', NULL, @bAscending
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @xml, 'GetXml', @sTmp0 OUT
    PRINT @sTmp0

    -- <root>
    --     <fruits>
    --         <apples>
    --             <apple>fuji</apple>
    --             <apple>gala</apple>
    --             <apple>granny smith</apple>
    --             <apple>honeycrisp</apple>
    --             <apple>mcintosh</apple>
    --         </apples>
    --         <fruit>banana</fruit>
    --         <fruit>blackberry</fruit>
    --         <fruit>blueberry</fruit>
    --         <fruit>orange</fruit>
    --         <fruit>pear</fruit>
    --     </fruits>
    -- </root>

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @xSortRoot


    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @xml


END
GO