The XML standard has acquired a great impact on the IT industry and on the way we are working. It has become the standard for structured data transport, and is also more and more used to store documents in a format-neutral way. Questions that arise in a Db2 context are:

• Are there easy ways to handle XML documents and store the data in Db2, and how can this be done without losing (structure) information?
• Is it possible to create an XML document based on relational Db2 data, and can this be done by using SQL?
• How does a Db2 specialist handle complex XML in the database?
• Can XML documents be efficiently searched through? Do we have to create indexes for that purpose?
• Is it possible to modify XML documents efficiently?
• How to write an SQL query that collects and recombines XML data with data from relational tables?

In this course, you'll learn

• how data is stored as XML
• how XML is to be accessed in Db2
• practical implementation scenarios and data retrieval and conversion techniques

To this end we will work with "PureXML", the "hybrid" database solution of IBM, available in Db2 (both on z/OS and on LUW).

• Introduction to XML:
  • Everything a Db2 developer or DBA should know about XML: Tree-shaped (hierarchical) data representations, elements, attributes, tree structure, DTDs, Schemas, ...
• PureXML:
  • Storing XML documents in tables by using the new Db2 datatype "XML"
  • Create XML documents: the functions XMLElement, XMLAttributes, XMLForest, XMLConcat, XMLAgg, XMLDocument
  • Validating XML documents: XML Schemas and the Db2 schema repository
  • Efficient searching through and modifying of stored XML documents by using XPath: XMLExists, XMLQuery, and XMLModify
  • Mapping XML datatypes to Db2 datatypes, and combining XML data with other tabular data by using the function XMLTable
  • using XQuery and its FLWOR syntax in SQL
• Storing XML documents:
  • Administration and maintenance of an XML tablespace
  • Defining indexes on an XML document
• XML transport of Db2 data:
  • Focusing on the most important differences between relational data representation and the hierarchical data model of XML
  • Suggestions for sensibly combining of / converting between relational data and XML data; shredding.
• Practice:
  • Each technique is illustrated in detail
  • Opportunity to try everything out through individual exercises

We start, if necessary, with a brief introduction to XML. Starting from this basic XML knowledge, it will be easy to understand the XML features provided by Db2. This will be guided by demo's and ample time for practical exercises.

Delivered as a live, interactive training – available in-person or online, or in a hybrid format. Training can be implemented in English, Dutch, or French.

Sufficient background knowledge of Db2 is needed (see courses Db2 for z/OS fundamentals course or Db2 for LUW fundamentals course). A thorough XML knowledge or experience is not necessary; some notions of XML (see e.g. XML concepts) will of course be an advantage.

Db2 developers and DBAs.