Creating XML file via sql in 10g database

Question

Hi
I am using an Oracle 10g database and via a procedure that is called from Forms 10g, I want to output data in XML format so that this file can be fed into an accounting system that uses XML.
How do I go about doing this?

Answer 1

How do I go about doing this?The most flexible way is via SQL/XML publishing functions.
And use DBMS_XSLPROCESSOR.CLOB2FILE to write the result to a file in a single call :
DECLARE
  xmlresult      clob;
BEGIN
  select xmlelement("Departments",
           xmlagg(
             xmlelement("Department",
               xmlattributes(
                 d.deptno as "id"
               , d.dname as "name"
             , xmlelement("Employees",
                 xmlagg(
                   xmlelement("Employee",
                     xmlattributes(e.empno as "id")
                   , xmlforest(
                       e.ename as "Name"
                     , e.job as "Job"
                     , e.mgr as "ManagerId"
                   ) order by e.empno
             ) order by d.deptno
         ).getclobval()
  into xmlresult    
  from scott.dept d
       join scott.emp e on e.deptno = d.deptno
  group by d.deptno, d.dname
  dbms_xslprocessor.clob2file(xmlresult, 'TEST_DIR', 'departments.xml');
END;
/Output : departments.xml in Oracle directory TEST_DIR :
<Departments>
  <Department id="10" name="ACCOUNTING">
    <Employees>
      <Employee id="7782">
        <Name>CLARK</Name>
        <Job>MANAGER</Job>
        <ManagerId>7839</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7839">
        <Name>KING</Name>
        <Job>PRESIDENT</Job>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7934">
        <Name>MILLER</Name>
        <Job>CLERK</Job>
        <ManagerId>7782</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
    </Employees>
  </Department>
  <Department id="20" name="RESEARCH">
    <Employees>
      <Employee id="7369">
        <Name>SMITH</Name>
        <Job>CLERK</Job>
        <ManagerId>7902</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7566">
        <Name>JONES</Name>
        <Job>MANAGER</Job>
        <ManagerId>7839</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7902">
        <Name>FORD</Name>
        <Job>ANALYST</Job>
        <ManagerId>7566</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
    </Employees>
  </Department>
  <Department id="30" name="SALES">
    <Employees>
      <Employee id="7499">
        <Name>ALLEN</Name>
        <Job>SALESMAN</Job>
        <ManagerId>7698</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7521">
        <Name>WARD</Name>
        <Job>SALESMAN</Job>
        <ManagerId>7698</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7654">
        <Name>MARTIN</Name>
        <Job>SALESMAN</Job>
        <ManagerId>7698</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7698">
        <Name>BLAKE</Name>
        <Job>MANAGER</Job>
        <ManagerId>7839</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7844">
        <Name>TURNER</Name>
        <Job>SALESMAN</Job>
        <ManagerId>7698</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
      <Employee id="7900">
        <Name>JAMES</Name>
        <Job>CLERK</Job>
        <ManagerId>7698</ManagerId>
      </Employee>
    </Employees>
  </Department>
</Departments>(formatted for display purpose)