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I tried to verify whether my code using FOR XML clause will run on Azure SQL Database. So I looked to Microsoft online documents (FOR XML (SQL Server)) where I found that it is not supported

enter image description here

While I was looking for a solution I found: Is 'FOR XML' (RAW, AUTO, PATH) supported in SQL Azure which states that it is supported. So I made an experiment

print @@VERSION
select (select 'aa' FOR XML PATH('tag'),TYPE)

with result

Microsoft SQL Azure (RTM) - 12.0.2000.8 
    Mar 19 2019 04:06:22 
    Copyright (C) 2019 Microsoft Corporation


----------------------------------------------
<tag>aa</tag>

(1 row affected)

So the question is: Is there an error in documents or do I read it wrong way or is it supported now and will not be in future?

Edit (September 2022)

The page FOR XML (SQL Server) now states that 'FOR XML' is supported in SQL Azure and so the question is no longer relevant.

IvanH
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2 Answers2

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I'd always trust the language reference over the fluffier "how to do things" documentation. The latter seem to fall out of date more regularly and not be revisited in a timely fashion.

On the FOR Clause page (linked above) it says it is supported in Azure SQL Database.

APPLIES TO: ✓ SQL Server (starting with 2008) ✓ Azure SQL Database ✗ Azure SQL Data Warehouse ✗ Parallel Data Warehouse

There are no mentions within the page of any Azure specific limitations either.

Damien_The_Unbeliever
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  • @DavidBrowne-Microsoft Please note also [TYPE Directive in FOR XML Queries](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/xml/type-directive-in-for-xml-queries?view=sql-server-2017) – IvanH Apr 08 '19 at 07:10
1

I opened the document FOR XML (SQL Server), it shows that it's supported in Azure SQL Database. enter image description here

Azure SQL Database supports FOR JSON and FOR XML. You can get this from many other blogs.

David Browne has created a Pull Request to update the docs page.

Hope this helps.

Community
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Leon Yue
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  • [TYPE Directive in FOR XML Queries](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/xml/type-directive-in-for-xml-queries?view=sql-server-2017) still states Azure not supported – IvanH Apr 08 '19 at 07:09