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If my XML data is very complex, is there a way I can store this in DB?

TIMEX
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3 Answers3

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The "regular" way is to store XML in a CLOB (Character Large Object) and MySQL supports CLOB with 4 data types:

  • TINYTEXT - A CLOB column with a maximum length of 255 (2**8 - 1) characters.
  • TEXT - A CLOB column with a maximum length of 65,535 (2**16 - 1) characters.
  • MEDIUMTEXT - A CLOB column with a maximum length of 16,777,215 (2**24 - 1) characters.
  • LONGTEXT - A CLOB column with a maximum length of 4,294,967,295 or 4GB (2**32 - 1) characters.

Using one or the other depends on your needs.

Pascal Thivent
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It all depends on what you want your database to do with the XML.

  • If you just want to store the XML document for later retrieval, just use a blob or text field. Also check the MySQL docs.
  • If you are trying to dump/import a model, use mysqldump.
  • If you are planning to query on XML, you should probably be using a native XML database such as eXist-db instead.
knipknap
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I would recommend using a database that has a native XML datatype. Postgres will do this, for example. This will make life much easier for you if you are planning to lots of work with XML in your database.

Andrew Brennan
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