Trying to Insert an XML Element into XML data stored in CLOB column

Question

Hi all,
My ORACLE DB version is:
('Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 - 64bit Production');
('PL/SQL Release 11.2.0.2.0 - Production');
('CORE 11.2.0.2.0 Production');
('TNS for Linux: Version 11.2.0.2.0 - Production');
('NLSRTL Version 11.2.0.2.0 - Production');
I have this XML data stored in a CLOB column:
<Activity>
     <Changes>     
     </Changes>
     <Inserts>     
     </Inserts>
     <Definition>     
     </Definition>
     <Assignment TYPE="Apply">     
     </Assignment>
     <Spawned>
          <Activity>576D8CD9-57A1-8608-1563-8F6DC74BDF3C</Activity>
          <Activity>11226E79-5D24-02EB-A950-D34A9CCFB3FF</Activity>
          <Activity>DAA68DC0-CA9A-BB15-DE31-9596E19513EE</Activity>
          <Activity>93F667D6-966A-7EAD-9B70-630D9BEFDDD2</Activity>
          <Activity>FA63D9D3-86BB-3FF0-BE69-17EAA7581637</Activity>
     </Spawned>
     <SpawnedBy>AFC49BD4-5AA7-38C0-AE27-F59D16EE1B1C</SpawnedBy>
</Activity>
I am in need of some assistance in creating an update that will insert another <Activity>SomeGUID</Activity> into the <Spawned> parent.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Edited by: 943783 on Dec 14, 2012 12:58 PM

Answer 1

See XML updating functions : http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/appdev.112/e23094/xdb04cre.htm#i1032611
For example :
UPDATE my_table t
SET t.my_clob =
      XMLSerialize(document
        insertChildXML(
          XMLParse(document t.my_clob)
        , '/Activity/Spawned'
        , 'Activity'
        , XMLElement("Activity", 'Some GUID')
WHERE ...
;Although it works, there's overhead introduced by parsing the CLOB, then serializing again.
Is there any chance you can change the CLOB to SECUREFILE binary XMLType storage instead?
You would then be able to benefit from optimized piecewise update of the XML and improved storage.