SQL with XML extensions (SQL/XML)

Level: Intermediate

Contributors: ISO

06 Feb 2007
Updated 25 Apr 2007

SQL/XML is a series of XML-related modules for the SQL database query language. Learn how this standard began, and read about the specifications that it covers.

SQL with XML extensions (SQL/XML) is a new section of the SQL standard covering a whole raft of XML-related extensions to SQL. It is in iterative development and was the subject of Part 14 of SQL 2003 [ISO International Standard ISO/IEC 9075-14:2003], which has since been withdrawn as work continues on SQL/XML/XQuery integration. SQL/XML was originally developed by the "SQLX Informal Group of Companies," with leadership from IBM® and Oracle, and then in committee at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is the standards organization in which SQL is maintained. The scope of SQL/XML encompasses (quoted from Andrew Eisenberg and Jim Melton):

• Specifications for the representation of SQL data (specifically, rows and tables of rows, as well as views and query results) in XML form, and vice versa.
• Specifications associated with mapping SQL schemata to and from XML schemata. This may include performing the mapping between existing arbitrary XML and SQL schemata.
• Specifications for the representation of SQL Schemas in XML.
• Specifications for the representation of SQL actions (insert, update, delete).
• Specifications for messaging for XML when used with SQL.

SQL/XML is developed to be complementary to XQuery.

Resources

• SQL/XML query is one of the key topics in Query DB2 XML Data with SQL by Cynthia M. Saracco, an article about using the enhanced XML features in the DB2® 9 release (developerWorks, March 2006).
  
  
• SQL/XML and the SQLX Informal Group of Companies [PDF] by Andrew Eisenberg and Jim Melton outlines the SQL/XML effort.
  
  
• XML programming with SQL/XML and XQuery [PDF] by J. E. Funderburk, S. Malaika, and B. Reinwald (IBM Systems Journal, Vol. 41, No. 4, 2002) provides a thorough examination of the intersection of all these XML and DBMS technologies.
  
  
• Read about other XML standards: Index of XML standards.
  
  
• Participate in any of several XML-centered forums: XML zone discussion forums.
  
  
• Get involved in the developerWorks community: developerWorks blogs
  
  
• Find out how you can become an IBM-Certified Developer in XML and related technologies at IBM XML certification.
  
  
• See the developerWorks XML Zone for a wide range of technical articles and tips, tutorials, standards, and IBM Redbooks at XML technical library.
  
  
• Stay current with technology in these sessions: developerWorks technical events and webcasts.
  
  
• Build your next development project with trial software available for download directly from developerWorks: IBM trial software
  

Back to top