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@turnstep.com
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