Storing XML in a database table - string or xstring?

[Former Member]

Hi-

I am writing a program that needs to upload an xml file and store the raw contents in a database table. What are the relative merits of storing the xml contents as binary or just a regular string? Is there any better way of storing it?

Cheers,

Tristan

[Former Member]

HI Tristan,

Is there any specific reason for storing the file data in a database table? XML data will typically have a lot of tags, which doesn't contain the data but have the meta data in them which will be common for all the records.

I think it is better to store the data in the application server only in normal string format.

Regards,

Ravi

[Former Member]

Hello,

Here is the sample code to store the xml file into ABAP DB table.

First create a table called YTEST_BIN with following fileds.

Filed Nmae Data Elemen type

MANDT MANDT CLNT

DESCRIPTION HTTPBODY RAWSTRING

Now create a program to read the XML file from your desktop and load it into the table.

Below given is the code for loading the table.

REPORT y_store_xml.

DATA: wf_filetab TYPE filetable .

DATA: wf_filerc TYPE i ,

wf_filename TYPE string ,

wf_path TYPE string ,

wf_full_path TYPE string ,

wf_file_length TYPE i .

DATA: wf_extension TYPE string ,

wf_fname TYPE string .

DATA: BEGIN OF int_tab1 OCCURS 0,

int_txt(1000) TYPE x ,

END OF int_tab1.

DATA: upd_tab TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF ytest_bin .

DATA: wa_upd_tab LIKE LINE OF upd_tab .

DATA: temp_xstring TYPE xstring .

PARAMETERS: p_file LIKE file_table-filename LOWER CASE VISIBLE LENGTH 80 .

AT SELECTION-SCREEN ON VALUE-REQUEST FOR p_file .

PERFORM browse_file CHANGING p_file .

AT SELECTION-SCREEN ON p_file .

IF p_file IS INITIAL .

MESSAGE e398(00) WITH

'Enter Filename and path' .

ENDIF.

START-OF-SELECTION .

CLEAR wf_filename .

MOVE: p_file TO wf_filename .

PERFORM load_file USING wf_filename .

PERFORM save_file_contents .

&----

---

*& Form browse_file

&----

---

• text

----

---

• <--P_P_FILE text

----

---

FORM browse_file CHANGING p_p_file.

CLEAR wf_filename .

CALL METHOD cl_gui_frontend_services=>file_open_dialog

EXPORTING

window_title = 'Select the File'

• DEFAULT_EXTENSION = cl_gui_frontend_services=>FILETYPE_TEXT

• DEFAULT_FILENAME =

• FILE_FILTER = cl_gui_frontend_services=>FILETYPE_EXCEL

• INITIAL_DIRECTORY =

• MULTISELECTION =

CHANGING

file_table = wf_filetab

rc = wf_filerc

• USER_ACTION =

EXCEPTIONS

file_open_dialog_failed = 1

cntl_error = 2

error_no_gui = 3

not_supported_by_gui = 4

OTHERS = 5

.

IF sy-subrc <> 0.

MESSAGE e398(00) WITH 'Error Opening File' .

ELSE .

READ TABLE wf_filetab INDEX 1 INTO p_file .

ENDIF.

ENDFORM. " browse_file

&----

---

*& Form load_file

&----

---

• text

----

---

• -->P_WF_FILENAME text

----

---

FORM load_file USING p_wf_filename.

CLEAR int_tab1 .

REFRESH int_tab1 .

CALL FUNCTION 'GUI_UPLOAD'

EXPORTING

filename = p_wf_filename

filetype = 'BIN'

IMPORTING

filelength = wf_file_length

• HEADER =

TABLES

data_tab = int_tab1

EXCEPTIONS

file_open_error = 1

file_read_error = 2

no_batch = 3

gui_refuse_filetransfer = 4

invalid_type = 5

no_authority = 6

unknown_error = 7

bad_data_format = 8

header_not_allowed = 9

separator_not_allowed = 10

header_too_long = 11

unknown_dp_error = 12

access_denied = 13

dp_out_of_memory = 14

disk_full = 15

dp_timeout = 16

OTHERS = 17

.

IF sy-subrc <> 0.

MESSAGE e398(00) WITH 'File may be open - Error loading' .

ENDIF.

ENDFORM. " load_file

&----

---

*& Form save_file_contents

&----

---

• text

----

---

• --> p1 text

• <-- p2 text

----

---

FORM save_file_contents .

CLEAR :wa_upd_tab , temp_xstring .

LOOP AT int_tab1 .

CONCATENATE temp_xstring int_tab1-int_txt INTO temp_xstring IN BYTE MODE.

ENDLOOP .

IF NOT temp_xstring IS INITIAL .

• optional

TRY.

CALL METHOD cl_abap_gzip=>compress_binary

EXPORTING

raw_in = temp_xstring

IMPORTING

gzip_out = wa_upd_tab-description.

CATCH cx_parameter_invalid_range .

CATCH cx_sy_buffer_overflow .

CATCH cx_sy_compression_error .

ENDTRY.

APPEND wa_upd_tab TO upd_tab .

ENDIF .

IF NOT upd_tab IS INITIAL .

MODIFY ytest_bin FROM TABLE upd_tab .

IF sy-subrc EQ 0 .

MESSAGE i398(00) WITH wf_filename ` Saved!`.

ENDIF .

ENDIF.

ENDFORM. " save_file_contents

Vasanth