Updatexml on xmltype variable

Question

Is there a way to update the XML in an xmltype variable?
I don't want to have to use the sql commands update ... set that constrain me to changing XML already stored in a table.
For example this is what I would like to do. If I have the following XML in clob vXmlClob
<Action>
<User>SVOLLMAN</User>
</Action>
I want to change the user to Dave...
declare
vXmlType xmltype;
vXmlClob clob;
begin
vXmlType := xmltype(vXmlClob);
vXmlType := xmlType.updatexml('Action/User','Dave');
end;
Of course this does not work but is there another way of updating the XML in my variable. Or maybe I am looking at this the wrong way - is there any way of using the update ... set sql commands without having the XML already in a table.

Answer 1

You mean this?:
michaels>  select xml, updatexml (d.xml, 'Action/User/text()', 'Dave') updated_xml
  from (select xmltype ('<Action><User>SVOLLMAN</User></Action>') xml from dual) d
XML                                        UPDATED_XML                          
<Action><User>SVOLLMAN</User></Action>     <Action><User>Dave</User></Action>