Query or procedure reformatting xmltype (clob)

Question

help me out with this one, please. I have not been able to narrow it down:
platform: Ora 9.2.0.5 on AIX, accessed remotely, character set AL32UTF8.
Table with multiple of columns, 2 SYS.XMLTYPE columns (storage CLOB, not compiled schema (xsd:datetime timezone issues)).
One column is a digitally signed xml doc; must be image consistent (char for char).
test 1:
select digitalsignedxml from table where ....;
result is identical to input; life is good.
test 2:
select XMLeleement("digitallysigneddoc", digitallysignedxml) from table where ....;
the body is still identical to the input (ignoring the wrapper), life is good.
test3:
same query as 2, but in a packaged function that is returning XMLTYPE.
The body is not identical, but reformatted. sigh. life is not good.
I have not been able to pin (narrow) this down. I have verified identical, not identical using sqlplus (set long 20000 linesize 20000 header off) and with the team's java application.
???

Answer 1

The problem appears to be that "SELECT xmltype_column" from table (XMLTYPE on clob) returns the data as is with no reformatting, and "SELECT XML("wrapper", xmltype_column) from table will totally reformat the xml in the column. Even though the data is stored in CLOB, it is no longer image consistent. yeah, it is still DOM consistent, but if we are dealing with a digitally signed doc, then how can I include that digitally signed doc in a larger XML doc, and still have it valid?
here are teh test cases:
REM for posting purposes I put ";" at all eol (if not already there).
environment: server 9.2.0.5 on AIX
client: sqlplus 9.2.0.5.0 also on AIX (remote, not ORACLE_SID)
set long 20000 linesize 20000 heading off
def vxml1='<testDoc id="6734"> <authSignature><ds:Signature xmlns:ds="http://www
.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#"><ds:SignedInfo><ds:CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="h
ttp://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/>';
def vxml2='<ds:SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-
sha1"/><ds:Reference URI="testDoc"><ds:Transforms><ds:Transform Algorithm="http:
//www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/>';
def vxml3='</ds:Transforms><ds:DigestMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09
/xmldsig#sha1"/><ds:DigestValue>00OrCVzig5V9p5SLbjDXbryYZkQ=</ds:DigestValue></d
s:Reference></ds:SignedInfo>';
def vxml4='<ds:SignatureValue>foo</ds:SignatureValue><ds:KeyInfo><ds:KeyName>Pub
lic key of certificate</ds:KeyName><ds:KeyValue><ds:RSAKeyValue>';
def vxml5='<ds:Modulus>bar</ds:Modulus><ds:Exponent>AQAB</ds:Exponent></ds:RSAKe
yValue></ds:KeyValue><ds:X509Data>';
def vxml6='<ds:X509Certificate>data here</ds:X509Certificate></ds:X509Data></ds:
KeyInfo></ds:Signature></authSignature></testDoc>';
select xmltype('&vxml1.&vxml2.&vxml3.&vxml4.&vxml5.&vxml6') from dual;
select XMLelement("testdoc",xmltype('&vxml1.&vxml2.&vxml3.&vxml4.&vxml5.&vxml6')
) from dual;
results:
15:25:43 dev58 SQL> select xmltype('&vxml1.&vxml2.&vxml3.&vxml4.&vxml5.&vxml6') from dual;
<testDoc id="6734"> <authSignature><ds:Signature xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#"><ds:SignedInfo><ds:CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/><ds:SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1"/><ds:Reference URI="testDoc"><ds:Transforms><ds:Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/></ds:Transforms><ds:DigestMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#sha1"/><ds:DigestValue>00OrCVzig5V9p5SLbjDXbryYZkQ=</ds:DigestValue></ds:Reference></ds:SignedInfo><ds:SignatureValue>foo</ds:SignatureValue><ds:KeyInfo><ds:KeyName>Public key of certificate</ds:KeyName><ds:KeyValue><ds:RSAKeyValue><ds:Modulus>bar</ds:Modulus><ds:Exponent>AQAB</ds:Exponent></ds:RSAKeyValue></ds:KeyValue><ds:X509Data><ds:X509Certificate>data here</ds:X509Certificate></ds:X509Data></ds:KeyInfo></ds:Signature></authSignature></testDoc>
1 row selected.
Elapsed: 00:00:00.01
15:25:43 dev58 SQL>
15:25:43 dev58 SQL> select XMLelement("testdoc",xmltype('&vxml1.&vxml2.&vxml3.&vxml4.&vxml5.&vxml6')) from dual;
<testdoc><testDoc id="6734">
<authSignature>
<ds:Signature xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#">
<ds:SignedInfo>
<ds:CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/>
<ds:SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1"/>
<ds:Reference URI="testDoc">
<ds:Transforms>
<ds:Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315"/>
</ds:Transforms>
<ds:DigestMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#sha1"/>
<ds:DigestValue>00OrCVzig5V9p5SLbjDXbryYZkQ=</ds:DigestValue>
</ds:Reference>
</ds:SignedInfo>
<ds:SignatureValue>foo</ds:SignatureValue>
<ds:KeyInfo>
<ds:KeyName>Public key of certificate</ds:KeyName>
<ds:KeyValue>
<ds:RSAKeyValue>
<ds:Modulus>bar</ds:Modulus>
<ds:Exponent>AQAB</ds:Exponent>
</ds:RSAKeyValue>
</ds:KeyValue>
<ds:X509Data>
<ds:X509Certificate>data here</ds:X509Certificate>
</ds:X509Data>
</ds:KeyInfo>
</ds:Signature>
</authSignature>
</testDoc>
</testdoc>
1 row selected.
Elapsed: 00:00:00.04
REM REM hint: this is much stripped down bare bones of actual digitial signed xml doc ...