SQL with Manoj

There are times when you want to export XML data stored in Table’s columns to xml files for some purpose.

Here is a small hands on script that uses BCP command with QueryOut option to export data from SQL Server to file system:

USE [AdventureWorks2012]
GO

-- Save XML records to a file:
DECLARE @fileName VARCHAR(50)

DECLARE @sqlStr VARCHAR(1000)
DECLARE @sqlCmd VARCHAR(1000)

SET @fileName = 'D:\SQL_Queries\PersonAdditionalContactInfo.xml'
SET @sqlStr = 'select TOP 1 AdditionalContactInfo from AdventureWorks2012.Person.Person where AdditionalContactInfo IS NOT NULL'

SET @sqlCmd = 'bcp "' + @sqlStr + '" queryout ' + @fileName + ' -w -T'

EXEC xp_cmdshell @sqlCmd

Output:

NULL
Starting copy...
NULL
1 rows copied.
Network packet size (bytes): 4096
Clock Time (ms.) Total     : 140    Average : (7.14 rows per sec.)
NULL

If you have to extract XMLs stored in all the rows then you can iterate through all the rows one by one by using a WHILE loop or a CURSOR and extract data in separate files. You can provide unique names to your files dynamically by tweaking the above code.