DML delete issues

Hi all,

I'm trying to return a processed Excel XML document from a stored procedure.

The procedure pulls a template document in XML format from a table, inserts data using DML and returns the result. The problem I've hit is in removing worksheets from the document prior to returning it. Inserts work fine when I try to remove a worksheet everything hangs. I'm thinking this could be a namespace problem, but am at a loss.

A small example(assume that @.XML contains a standard ExcelXML document):

set @.XML.modify('declare namespace ss="urnchemas-microsoft-comfficepreadsheet";
declare namespace o="urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice";
declare namespace x="urnchemas-microsoft-comffice:excel";
delete (/ss:Workbook[1]/ss:Worksheet[1])')

Any help greatly appreciated...

Regards,

Andy

I tried your case (delete the first Worksheet from a excel file in 2003 xml format) and it works fine:

Code Snippet

declare @.x xml = '<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?mso-application progid="Excel.Sheet"?>
<Workbook xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel"
xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet"
xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<DocumentProperties xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<Author>jinghaol</Author>
<LastAuthor>jinghaol</LastAuthor>
<Created>2007-04-24T16:15:41Z</Created>
<LastSaved>2007-04-24T16:17:18Z</LastSaved>
<Company>Microsoft</Company>
<Version>12.00</Version>
</DocumentProperties>
<ExcelWorkbook xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
<WindowHeight>12345</WindowHeight>
<WindowWidth>18960</WindowWidth>
<WindowTopX>120</WindowTopX>
<WindowTopY>75</WindowTopY>
<ProtectStructure>False</ProtectStructure>
<ProtectWindows>False</ProtectWindows>
</ExcelWorkbook>
<Styles>
<Style ss:ID="Default" ss:Name="Normal">
<Alignment ss:Vertical="Bottom"/>
<Borders/>
<Font ss:FontName="Calibri" x:Family="Swiss" ss:Size="11" ss:Color="#000000"/>
<Interior/>
<NumberFormat/>
<Protection/>
</Style>
</Styles>
<Worksheet ss:Name="Sheet1">
<Table ss:ExpandedColumnCount="1" ss:ExpandedRowCount="1" x:FullColumns="1"
x:FullRows="1" ss:DefaultRowHeight="15">
<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">adsf</Data></Cell>
</Row>
</Table>
<WorksheetOptions xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
<PageSetup>
<Header x:Margin="0.3"/>
<Footer x:Margin="0.3"/>
<PageMargins x:Bottom="0.75" x:Left="0.7" x:Right="0.7" x:Top="0.75"/>
</PageSetup>
<Selected/>
<ProtectObjects>False</ProtectObjects>
<ProtectScenarios>False</ProtectScenarios>
</WorksheetOptions>
</Worksheet>
<Worksheet ss:Name="Sheet2">
<Table ss:ExpandedColumnCount="1" ss:ExpandedRowCount="1" x:FullColumns="1"
x:FullRows="1" ss:DefaultRowHeight="15">
<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">asdf</Data></Cell>
</Row>
</Table>
<WorksheetOptions xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
<PageSetup>
<Header x:Margin="0.3"/>
<Footer x:Margin="0.3"/>
<PageMargins x:Bottom="0.75" x:Left="0.7" x:Right="0.7" x:Top="0.75"/>
</PageSetup>
<ProtectObjects>False</ProtectObjects>
<ProtectScenarios>False</ProtectScenarios>
</WorksheetOptions>
</Worksheet>
<Worksheet ss:Name="Sheet3">
<Table ss:ExpandedColumnCount="1" ss:ExpandedRowCount="2" x:FullColumns="1"
x:FullRows="1" ss:DefaultRowHeight="15">
<Row ss:Index="2">
<Cell><Data ss:Type="String">asdf</Data></Cell>
</Row>
</Table>
<WorksheetOptions xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
<PageSetup>
<Header x:Margin="0.3"/>
<Footer x:Margin="0.3"/>
<PageMargins x:Bottom="0.75" x:Left="0.7" x:Right="0.7" x:Top="0.75"/>
</PageSetup>
<Panes>
<Pane>
<Number>3</Number>
<ActiveRow>1</ActiveRow>
</Pane>
</Panes>
<ProtectObjects>False</ProtectObjects>
<ProtectScenarios>False</ProtectScenarios>
</WorksheetOptions>
</Worksheet>
</Workbook>'
select @.x
set @.x.modify('
declare namespace ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet";
declare namespace o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office";
declare namespace x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel";
delete (/ss:Workbook[1]/ss:Worksheet[1])')
select @.x
go

I couldn't exactly copy/paste/run your query because the editor puts many and in namespace declare part.