Problem query of XMLType column in XSQL servlet

Question

Hi all,
I'm having trouble debugging the following error from a query on an XMLType column in an XSQL page query:
<page xmlns:xsql="urn:oracle-xsql" connection="jdbc/DBConnection1DS">
<xsql:query max-rows="1" null-indicator="no">
SELECT extractValue(x.DOCBOOKS_DOC, '/book/part/title', 'xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"') "BOOK TITLE"
FROM DOCBOOKS_STORE x
</xsql:query>
</page>
which returns the following error message:
<page>
<ERROR>
oracle.xml.sql.OracleXMLSQLException: Character ' ' is not allowed in an XML tag name.
</ERROR>
</page>
The SQL query works fine in the SQL Worksheet and SQL Plus, only when I stick it in an XSQL query. I've tested the XSQL Page environment with a query on Number Datatype column and no issues there either.
Any suggestions, much appreciated. Thanks.
George

Answer 1

The XML SQL Utility creates XML tags named after your column aliases.
You have aliased the column to a name containing a space: "BOOK TITLE"
This error is telling you that the implied XML element whose name matches this column alias, which would be <BOOK TITLE> is not a legal name for an XML element since it has a space in it.
You'll need to pick a column alias with no space in the name. For example, "BOOK_TITLE" and then in your XSLT stylesheet (or whatever downstream formatting tool you may be using) remove the underscore from the name and replace it with a space.