XML data in JDBC applications

In JDBC applications, you can store data in XML columns and retrieve data from XML columns.

In database tables, the XML built-in data type is used to store XML data in a column as a structured set of nodes in a tree format.

JDBC applications can send XML data to the data server or retrieve XML data from the data server in one of the following forms:
  • As textual XML data
  • As binary XML data, if the data server supports it
In JDBC applications, you can:
  • Store an entire XML document in an XML column using setXXX methods.
  • Retrieve an entire XML document from an XML column using getXXX methods.
  • Retrieve a sequence from a document in an XML column by using the SQL XMLQUERY function to retrieve the sequence into a serialized sequence in the database, and then using getXXX methods to retrieve the data into an application variable.
  • Retrieve a sequence from a document in an XML column as a user-defined table by using the SQL XMLTABLE function to define the result table and retrieve it. Then use getXXX methods to retrieve the data from the result table into application variables.

JDBC 4.0 java.sql.SQLXML objects can be used to retrieve and update data in XML columns. Invocations of metadata methods, such as ResultSetMetaData.getColumnTypeName return the integer value java.sql.Types.SQLXML for an XML column type.