Read xml-structure from a xml-document stored in a xmltype-column?

Question

Hello,
I have several xml-documents stored in a table with a xmltype-column.
Is it possible to read the structure of one xml-document? I need to know what data are exists in the xml-documents.
I had read some hours here, but I dont find a suitable solution for that.
To make a example, what I need:
I have stored the following xml-document in the table:
<?xml version = '1.0'?>
<ROWSET>
<ROW num="6">
<EMPLOYEE_ID>105</EMPLOYEE_ID>
<FIRST_NAME>David</FIRST_NAME>
<LAST_NAME>Austin</LAST_NAME>
<EMAIL>DAUSTIN</EMAIL>
<PHONE_NUMBER>590.423.4569</PHONE_NUMBER>
<HIRE_DATE>6/25/1997 0:0:0</HIRE_DATE>
<JOB_ID>IT_PROG</JOB_ID>
<SALARY>4800</SALARY>
<MANAGER_ID>103</MANAGER_ID>
<DEPARTMENT_ID>60</DEPARTMENT_ID>
</ROW>
</ROWSET>
I need to return the following:
ROWSET
...ROW
......EMPLOYEE NUMBER
......FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2
......DEPARTMENT_ID NUMBER
Regards,
Mark

Answer 1

Hi,
I was on a wrong way. The datatype is not stored in xml, this was a mistake from me.
I needed something to printout some values from a xml-file. This xml-file was generated bei MS Excel. The data are in /Workbook/Worksheet/Table/Cell and I didnt know how to access it.
I write for that the following:
DECLARE
v_xml XMLType;
v_doc dbms_xmldom.DOMDocument;
v_node dbms_xmldom.DOMNode;
type t_values is table of varchar2(2000) index by binary_integer;
v_values t_values;
type t_table is table of t_values index by binary_integer;
v_table t_table;
procedure node_output (v_node in out dbms_xmldom.DOMNode)
is
v_nodelist1 DBMS_XMLDOM.DOMNodeList;
v_nodelist2 DBMS_XMLDOM.DOMNodeList;
v_anzahlnodes number;
v_anzahlrows number;
v_node_c dbms_xmldom.DOMNode;
v_xmlmitarbeiterid number;
begin
v_nodelist1 := dbms_xmldom.GETCHILDNODES(v_node);
v_anzahlrows := DBMS_XMLDOM.GETLENGTH(v_nodelist1);
if v_anzahlrows = 0 or DBMS_XMLDOM.GETNODENAME(v_node) = 'Table'
then
if v_anzahlrows > 0
then
for i1 in 0..v_anzahlrows - 1
loop
v_node := dbms_xmldom.Item(v_nodelist1,i1);
v_nodelist2 := dbms_xmldom.GETCHILDNODES(v_node);
v_anzahlnodes := DBMS_XMLDOM.GETLENGTH(v_nodelist2);
for i2 in 0..v_anzahlnodes - 1
loop
v_node := dbms_xmldom.Item(v_nodelist2,i2);
v_node_c := dbms_xmldom.GETFIRSTCHILD(v_node);
v_node_c := dbms_xmldom.GETFIRSTCHILD(v_node_c);
v_values(i2) := DBMS_XMLDOM.GETNODEVALUE(v_node_c);
end loop;
v_table(i1) := v_values;
end loop;
for i1 in 1..v_anzahlrows - 1
loop
select SEQ_XMLMITARBEITER.nextval into v_xmlmitarbeiterid from dual;
for i2 in 1..v_table(i1).count - 1
loop
dbms_output.put_line(v_table(i1)(i2));
end loop;
end loop;
end if;
else
v_node := dbms_xmldom.GETFIRSTCHILD(v_node);
for i in 0..v_anzahlrows - 1
loop
v_node := dbms_xmldom.Item(v_nodelist1,i);
node_output(v_node);
end loop;
end if;
end;
BEGIN
select inhalt into v_xml FROM xmlimport WHERE name = 'F23973/mitarbeiter.xml';
v_doc := dbms_xmldom.newDOMDocument(v_xml);
v_node:= dbms_xmldom.makeNode(dbms_xmldom.getDocumentElement(v_doc));
node_output(v_node);
END;
This gives me all data from a xml-Excel-file. Is there a better way to do that? I have Oracle 10.2.
Regards,
Mark