Using attribute more than once in FOR XML Path T-SQL query with same element name

Question

I am trying to create an xml output in SQL 2008 using FOR XML Path. This is working fine:

      Clothing         


        

Answer 1

The shortcut methods may not cut it for this. AUTO and PATH don't like multiple elements with the same name. Looks like you would have to use the FOR XML EXPLICIT command.

It works, but is cumbersome.

Sample:

--Generate Sample Data
--FOR XML EXPLICIT requires two meta fields: Tag and Parent
--Tag is the ID of the current element.
--Parent is the ID of the parent element, or NULL for root element.

DECLARE @DataTable as table
   (Tag int NOT NULL
   , Parent int
   , TaxonomyValue nvarchar(max)
   , CategoryValue nvarchar(max)
   , CategoryLevel int)

--Fill with sample data: Category Element (2), under Taxonomy(1), with no Taxonomy value.
INSERT INTO @DataTable
VALUES (2, 1, NULL, 1, 'Clothing')
     , (2, 1, NULL, 2, 'Jeans')

--First part of query: Define the XML structure
SELECT
   1 as Tag  --root element
   , NULL as Parent
   , NULL as [Taxonomy!1]       --Assign Taxonomy Element to the first element, aka root.
   , NULL as [Category!2]       --Assign Category Element as a child to Taxonomy.
   , NULL as [Category!2!Level] --Give Category an Attribute 'Level'

--The actual data to fill the XML
UNION
SELECT
   Data.Tag
   , Data.Parent
   , Data.TaxonomyValue
   , Data.CategoryValue
   , Data.CategoryLevel
FROM
   @DataTable as Data
FOR XML EXPLICIT

Generates XML

  Clothing
  Jeans

Edit: Had columns reversed. No more Jeans level.