Re: XML ouput for psql

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> The XML standard does not call for any table format. But a number of
> table formats have been established within the XML framework. Some of
> them are formatting-oriented (e.g., the HTML model, or CALS which is used
> in DocBook) and some of them are processing-oriented (e.g., SQL/XML).
> Which do we need? And which do we need from psql in particular (keeping
> in mind that psql is primarily for interactive use and shell-scripting)?
> In any case, it should most likely be a standard table model and not a
> hand-crafted one.

I think all psql needs is a simple output, similar to the ones used by
Oracle, Sybase, and MySQL; the calling application should then process
it in some way as needed (obviously this is not for interactive use).
Where can one find a "standard table model?"

All of the DBs I mentioned (and the perl module DBIx:XML_RDB) all share
a similar theme, with subtle differences (i.e. some use <row>, some
<row num="x">, some have <rowset>). I'd be happy to write whatever
format we can find or develop. My personal vote is the DBIx::XML_RDB
format, perhaps with the row number that Oracle uses, producing this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<RESULTSET statement="select * from xmltest">
<ROW num="1">
<scoops>3</scoops>
<flavor>chocolate</flavor>
</ROW>
<ROW num="2">
<scoops>2</scoops>
<flavor>vanilla</flavor>
</ROW>
</RESULTSET>

> (If, for whatever reason, we go the "processing-oriented" route, then I
> claim that there should not be a different output with and without \x
> mode.)

I agree with this.

- --
Greg Sabino Mullane greg(at)turnstep(dot)com
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