The XML syntax is independent of the direction of the operation that is, the syntax is the same for bulk export and bulk import. This is useful if you have to map all or some of the data fields to columns in different tables or views. Furthermore, the clarity of XML encoding facilitates the creation of multiple format files for a given data file. For example, if a data file contains a character representation of the data, the corresponding SQL column type is lost.Īn XML format file allows for loading of a field that contains a single large object (LOB) data type from a data file.Īn XML format file can be enhanced yet remain compatible with its earlier versions. This enables separation between how data is represented in the data file and what data type is associated with each field in the file. The XML encoding clearly describes the data types and data elements of the data file and also the mapping between data elements and table columns. XML format files contain the data types of target columns. They are human readable, making it easy to understand how data is interpreted during bulk operations. XML format files are self-describing, making them easy to read, create, and extend. For information about non-XML format files, see Non-XML Format Files (SQL Server).

XML format files provide a flexible and powerful alternative to non-XML format files. Two types of format files are supported for bulk exporting and importing: non-XML format files and XML format files.

What is an xml file