Start/End Tags are not being accepted by parse if null.

Question

The is my database version:
BANNER
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 - 64bit Production
PL/SQL Release 11.2.0.2.0 - Production
CORE    11.2.0.2.0      Production
TNS for Solaris: Version 11.2.0.2.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 11.2.0.2.0 - ProductionWe have a new application that pretty much generates the xml tags. The sending system uses two tags even when a NULL value is being sent. However the Oracle parser does not like it. We get this error:
ORA-31011: XML parsing failed
ORA-19202: Error occurred in XML processing
LPX-00231: invalid character 47 ('/') found in a Name or Nmtoken
Error at line 1When I receive a list of parameters as a clob, I then cast it as xml for processing. When I use a tag like <phase/>, the xml parser accepts it. However, when I put into the format being sent <phase></phase> to signify a NULL value. The following is the code snippet that generates the error.
vXmlDoc := XMLTYPE(pSearchParams_Tx);My question is there any way to allow the xml parser to accept the default format that is being sent in? Perhaps is the some sort of pre-processing that would allow the sent in format to be used? Thank you.

Answer 1

I'm not sure I follow fully. I don't have 11.2.0.2 to test against, but I do not encounter any issue with this simple example
Connected to Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.3.0
SQL> set serveroutput on;
SQL>
SQL> declare
  2    pSearchParams_Tx   CLOB;
  3    vXmlDoc            XMLTYPE;
  4  begin
  5    pSearchParams_Tx := '<phase/>';
  6    vXmlDoc := XMLTYPE(pSearchParams_Tx);
  7    dbms_output.put_line('Done 1');
  8    pSearchParams_Tx := '<phase></phase>';
  9    vXmlDoc := XMLTYPE(pSearchParams_Tx);
10    dbms_output.put_line('Done 2');
11  end;
12  /
Done 1
Done 2
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed I get the same thing on 11.1.0.6 as well.
Do you have a code example that demonstrates the error?