Searching for BLOB xml file content

Question

Hi Gurus,
I am having a table with a blob type column which is holding xml files. Is there a way to select records of the table based on specific words contained in the xml?
Many Thanks,
Napster

Answer 1

rp0428 wrote:
But if OP really wants to search the 'content' of the xml elements I don't see that working for them.
Sure, he can.  All you have to do is add auto_section_group to the index parameters, then you can search within any of the specific tags, as demonstrated below.
SCOTT@orcl12c> CREATE TABLE a_table
  2    (id          NUMBER,
  3      blob_type_column  BLOB)
  4  /
Table created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> INSERT INTO a_table VALUES (1,
  2  UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_RAW (
  3  '<a><b>something different</b><c>whatever you are looking for</c></a>'))
  4  /
1 row created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> INSERT INTO a_table VALUES (2,
  2  UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_RAW (
  3  '<a><b>something else</b><c>something different</c></a>'))
  4  /
1 row created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> CREATE INDEX test_index ON a_table (blob_type_column)
  2  INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT
  3  PARAMETERS ('SECTION GROUP CTXSYS.AUTO_SECTION_GROUP')
  4  /
Index created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> SELECT id, UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2 (blob_type_column)
  2  FROM   a_table
  3  WHERE  CONTAINS
  4            (blob_type_column,
  5             '(whatever AND looking) WITHIN c') > 0
  6  /
        ID
UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2(BLOB_TYPE_COLUMN)
         1
<a><b>something different</b><c>whatever you are looking for</c></a>
1 row selected.
SCOTT@orcl12c> SELECT id, UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2 (blob_type_column)
  2  FROM   a_table
  3  WHERE  CONTAINS
  4            (blob_type_column,
  5             '(something different) WITHIN b') > 0
  6  /
        ID
UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2(BLOB_TYPE_COLUMN)
         1
<a><b>something different</b><c>whatever you are looking for</c></a>
1 row selected.
SCOTT@orcl12c> SELECT id, UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2 (blob_type_column)
  2  FROM   a_table
  3  WHERE  CONTAINS
  4            (blob_type_column,
  5             '(something different) WITHIN c') > 0
  6  /
        ID
UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2(BLOB_TYPE_COLUMN)
         2
<a><b>something else</b><c>something different</c></a>
1 row selected.