XML Data (SQL Server)
SQL Server provides a powerful platform for developing rich applications for semi-structured data management. Support for XML is integrated into all the components in SQL Server and includes the following:
The xml data type. XML values can be stored natively in an xml data type column that can be typed according to a collection of XML schemas, or left untyped. You can index the XML column.
The ability to specify an XQuery query against XML data stored in columns and variables of the xml type.
Enhancements to OPENROWSET to allow bulk loading of XML data.
The FOR XML clause, to retrieve relational data in XML format.
The OPENXML function, to retrieve XML data in relational format.