SSMS : Unable to show XML in the SSMS Explorer

Question

We are getting below error msg in the pop-up windows, when trying to view the generated XML in SSMS - Sql Server.

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

Unable to show XML. The following error happened: Unexpected end of file while parsing Name has occurred. Line 1, position 2097154.

Guddle

Have you tried doing what it has suggested? Also, Line 1 position 2097154?? Does your first line of XML really have over 2 million characters? – Inerney

Do you have an enclosing tag at the end of the file? Is it well formatted? – Bork

The data is not that long. In fact, if the record set is low ( like 20 ), there is no issue. – Guddle

If there was "no issue" you wouldn't be getting the error you're getting. – Inerney

Can you view the contents by other methods? Perhaps SqlCmd or Results to Text? – Teheran

@Larnu A 2MB XML file is nothing special, and having everything on the same line is nothing special, either (it actually saves some space). – Madeline

@Guddle If you open the file in Internet Explorer, what happens? – Madeline

@Madeline you realise it isn't a file, right? It's a column, in SQL Server, of the data type xml. The OP won't be able to "open the file" in Internet Explorer; it's noy a file. – Inerney

No, I didn't realize. Where does it say that? I read "generated XML", that could be anything. – Madeline

Answer 1

You will not be able to fix this beyond what SSMS can support when it comes to viewing the XML data in SSMS. I would suggest any of the following resolutions:

• Change the parameters of what is pushing that XML data into your server so that the overall size can be limited. For example, if this XML data contains all values for a data point for the past year, perhaps break it up into quarters instead and push them separately into the server.
• Export the data instead of trying to view it in SSMS.

Olli