SQL query - ntext query (for nodes, substring)

Question

I am querying ReportServer database where SSRS metadata is stored in a field called Subscriptions.ExtensionSettings datatype NTEXT. The data values looks like XML-style text with [Name] and [Value] tags such as: <Name>TO</Name>, <Name>CC</Name>, <Name>RenderFormat</Name>, and <Value>Some text data here</Value>. The text Values for each Name tag will sometimes have a line break.

Is there a SELECT statement that can query the NTEXT field to pull the separate field values out for each record-- [TO], [CC], [RenderFormat]?

In my search to this answer I have looked at these posts: SQL Query: Grouping by an ntext field; ntext/text/image datatypes in SQL server 2016 CTP 3

Sample data...

DECLARE @TableData as table (
    DeliveryExtension nvarchar(260), ExtensionSettings ntext
    )

INSERT INTO @TableData VALUES
    ('Report Server Email', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>TO</Name><Value>name.one@companyinc.com; name.two@companyinc.com; name.3@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>CC</Name><Value>name.four@companyinc.com; name.five@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeReport</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RenderFormat</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Subject</Name><Value>@ReportName was executed at @ExecutionTime</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Comment</Name><Value>Any undefined category is currently being addressed.</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeLink</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Priority</Name><Value>NORMAL</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')
    ,('Report Server Email', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>TO</Name><Value>name.one@companyinc.com; name.two@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>CC</Name><Value>name.three@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeReport</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RenderFormat</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Subject</Name><Value>@ReportName was executed at @ExecutionTime</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Comment</Name><Value>@ReportName

If there any issues with this report please open a ticket for Reporting Services Portal support.</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeLink</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Priority</Name><Value>NORMAL</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')
    ,('Report Server FileShare', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>PATH</Name><Value>\\network1234\c$\temp</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>FILENAME</Name><Value>AE Points Report</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>FILEEXTN</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>USERNAME</Name><Value>OCSgOkfVICihDFLe9g/oVGCa86jtJJLh2vqiuOYEvtYL1kudnJ6RuGqXlMpxqDz9</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>PASSWORD</Name><Value>f0zrUzblRan6Q9h9iW8FwevA9UKSo3guHz79rx3XG9i+OdAj3LxLaf659MJT0ZjE</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RENDER_FORMAT</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>WRITEMODE</Name><Value>Overwrite</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>DEFAULTCREDENTIALS</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')


select 
    DeliveryExtension 
    , ExtensionSettings
from @TableData

Desired result...

+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+----------------------------+--------------+
| DeliveryExtension       | TO                                               | CC                         | RenderFormat |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+----------------------------+--------------+
| Report Server Email     | name.one@companyinc.com;                         | name.four@companyinc.com;  | EXCELOPENXML |
|                         |   name.two@companyinc.com; name.3@companyinc.com |   name.five@companyinc.com |              |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+----------------------------+--------------+
| Report Server Email     | name.one@companyinc.com;                         | name.three@companyinc.com  | EXCELOPENXML |
|                         |   name.two@companyinc.com                        |                            |              |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+----------------------------+--------------+
| Report Server FileShare |                                                  |                            | PDF          |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+----------------------------+--------------+

You should change the `ntext` column to `nvarchar(max)`, or in this case, to `xml`. the `text`, `ntext` and `image` data types are deprecated since 2008 version. — Zohar Peled, Oct 09 '18 at 19:05
[Mr. Cappelletti](https://stackoverflow.com/users/1570000/john-cappelletti) will be with you momentarily i suspect. You can look at his most recent answers... he does a lot of XML type parsing. [His last one would probably work](https://stackoverflow.com/a/52724050/6167855) — S3S, Oct 09 '18 at 19:09
@ZoharPeled- This database is shipped with Report Server application, I will not be changing the table. However, if casting in select statement is what you mean, please let me know how. Thanks! — SherlockSpreadsheets, Oct 09 '18 at 19:13
@scsimon I like John, but I suspect his calendar is busy at least [until 2525](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/42986683/tsql-order-by-with-nulls-first-or-last-at-bottom-or-top/42987011#42987011) — Zohar Peled, Oct 12 '18 at 10:45

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 09 '18 at 20:29

I figured out how to use XQuery to find (and, eventually, update) data for my subscriptions.

I had to change your Extension type column to XML.

DECLARE @TableData as table (
    DeliveryExtension nvarchar(260), ExtensionSettings xml
    )

INSERT INTO @TableData VALUES
    ('Report Server Email', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>TO</Name><Value>name.one@companyinc.com; name.two@companyinc.com; name.3@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>CC</Name><Value>name.four@companyinc.com; name.five@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeReport</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RenderFormat</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Subject</Name><Value>@ReportName was executed at @ExecutionTime</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Comment</Name><Value>Any undefined category is currently being addressed.</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeLink</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Priority</Name><Value>NORMAL</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')
    ,('Report Server Email', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>TO</Name><Value>name.one@companyinc.com; name.two@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>CC</Name><Value>name.three@companyinc.com</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeReport</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RenderFormat</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Subject</Name><Value>@ReportName was executed at @ExecutionTime</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Comment</Name><Value>@ReportName

If there any issues with this report please open a ticket for Reporting Services Portal support.</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>IncludeLink</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>Priority</Name><Value>NORMAL</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')
    ,('Report Server FileShare', '<ParameterValues><ParameterValue><Name>PATH</Name><Value>\\network1234\c$\temp</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>FILENAME</Name><Value>AE Points Report</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>FILEEXTN</Name><Value>True</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>USERNAME</Name><Value>OCSgOkfVICihDFLe9g/oVGCa86jtJJLh2vqiuOYEvtYL1kudnJ6RuGqXlMpxqDz9</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>PASSWORD</Name><Value>f0zrUzblRan6Q9h9iW8FwevA9UKSo3guHz79rx3XG9i+OdAj3LxLaf659MJT0ZjE</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>RENDER_FORMAT</Name><Value>EXCELOPENXML</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>WRITEMODE</Name><Value>Overwrite</Value></ParameterValue><ParameterValue><Name>DEFAULTCREDENTIALS</Name><Value>False</Value></ParameterValue></ParameterValues>')


select 
    ExtensionSettings ,
    ExtensionSettings.value(N'(/ParameterValues/ParameterValue[Name="TO"]/Value)[1]', 'varchar(250)') TO_,
    ExtensionSettings.value(N'(/ParameterValues/ParameterValue[Name="CC"]/Value)[1]', 'varchar(250)') CC,
    ExtensionSettings.value(N'(/ParameterValues/ParameterValue[Name="RenderFormat"]/Value)[1]', 'varchar(250)') RenderFormat
from @TableData

Thanks, this works great! I cannot change the table DDL from ntext, but CAST statement works great... `CAST(ExtensionSettings as xml).value(N'(/ParameterValues/...` — SherlockSpreadsheets, Oct 10 '18 at 13:11

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 09 '18 at 19:48

Here's an ugly way that may not scale, but it works.

Here is the Fiddle

;with cte as(
select 
    DeliveryExtension 
    , ExtensionSettings
    , x.ItemNumber
    , x.Item
from @TableData
cross apply dbo.DelimitedSplit8K(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(cast(ExtensionSettings as varchar(max)),'<ParameterValue>',''),'</ParameterValue>',''),'<ParameterValues>',''),'</Name>',''),'</Value>',''),'<Name>') x
where x.Item != '')

select 
    c.DeliveryExtension
    ,[TO] = max(replace(t.Item,'Value>',''))
    ,[CC] = max(replace(cc.Item,'Value>',''))
    ,[Format] = max(replace(form.Item,'Value>',''))
from cte c
left join cte t on 
    t.ItemNumber = c.ItemNumber + 1
    and cast(c.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max)) = cast(t.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max))
    and c.Item = 'Name>TO'
left join cte cc on 
    cc.ItemNumber = c.ItemNumber + 1
    and cast(c.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max)) = cast(cc.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max))
    and c.Item = 'Name>CC'
left join cte form on 
    form.ItemNumber = c.ItemNumber + 1
    and cast(c.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max)) = cast(form.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max))
    and c.Item in ('Name>RenderFormat','Name>RENDER_FORMAT')
group by
    c.DeliveryExtension, cast(c.ExtensionSettings as varchar(max))

It is reliant on a splitter function. This is the one I used

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[DelimitedSplit8K] (@pString VARCHAR(8000), @pDelimiter CHAR(1))
--WARNING!!! DO NOT USE MAX DATA-TYPES HERE!  IT WILL KILL PERFORMANCE!

RETURNS TABLE WITH SCHEMABINDING AS
RETURN

/* "Inline" CTE Driven "Tally Table" produces values from 1 up to 10,000... enough to cover VARCHAR(8000)*/

  WITH E1(N) AS (
                 SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL
                 SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL
                 SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 1
                ),                          --10E+1 or 10 rows
       E2(N) AS (SELECT 1 FROM E1 a, E1 b), --10E+2 or 100 rows
       E4(N) AS (SELECT 1 FROM E2 a, E2 b), --10E+4 or 10,000 rows max
 cteTally(N) AS (--==== This provides the "base" CTE and limits the number of rows right up front
                     -- for both a performance gain and prevention of accidental "overruns"
                 SELECT TOP (ISNULL(DATALENGTH(@pString),0)) ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)) FROM E4
                ),
cteStart(N1) AS (--==== This returns N+1 (starting position of each "element" just once for each delimiter)
                 SELECT 1 UNION ALL
                 SELECT t.N+1 FROM cteTally t WHERE SUBSTRING(@pString,t.N,1) = @pDelimiter
                ),
cteLen(N1,L1) AS(--==== Return start and length (for use in substring)
                 SELECT s.N1,
                        ISNULL(NULLIF(CHARINDEX(@pDelimiter,@pString,s.N1),0)-s.N1,8000)
                   FROM cteStart s
                )
--===== Do the actual split. The ISNULL/NULLIF combo handles the length for the final element when no delimiter is found.
 SELECT ItemNumber = ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY l.N1),
        Item       = SUBSTRING(@pString, l.N1, l.L1)
   FROM cteLen l


GO

SQL query - ntext query (for nodes, substring)

2 Answers2