Question:
Can the latest version of ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) read and write an XML file as a recordset?
Answer:
Ah, let me qualify that: ADO 2.1 can currently produce an XML file from a recordset using the IStream .save method, but it lacks the ability to write an XML file into a recordset directly. The beta ADO 2.5 (which is part of SQL Server 7.5) can read and write XML from and into SQL. To me, it is one of the most compelling reasons to upgrade from SQL Server 7 to SQL Server 7.5, although it’s my understanding that Microsoft will release ADO 2.5 as part of some of its other product upgrades as well. SQL Server 7.5 will also support hierarchical recordsets for both reading and writing, as well as letting you send SQL queries across the Web to get an XML dataset back. Microsoft has also simplified the default output of the XML in 7.5, so that you don’t have to do ugly XSL transforms on Reduced Data Set structures. It also provides the option of structuring your output using a template XML file, which is one of the most intelligent features I’ve seen yet in 7.5.
