How to XML-encode a string in PostgreSQL?

Question

Question: I can create a XML-encoded string in Postgres like this:

SELECT xmlelement(name name, 'AT&T', null )

now I want to get the xml encoded value, that is to say AT&T.

But if I do:

SELECT unnest(xpath('/name/text()', xmlelement(name name, 'AT&T', null )))

then I get AT&T, not AT&T.

How can I get the XML-encoded value?

Furthermore, isn't it possible to supply an empty name to xmlelement, and just cast to varchar?

SELECT version(); --> "PostgreSQL 9.0.4, compiled by Visual C++ build 1500, 32-bit" in pgAdmin3 Version 1.12.3 (Apr. 15 2011 REL-1_12_3)

Clodoaldo · Answer 1 · 2013-01-09 13:21:51Z

up vote 0 down vote

If you are writing to an HTML client then you will have to HTML escape that for it to show the raw HTML.

As I see you are mainly a C# developer then the static method HttpUtility.HtmlEncode() will do it.

edited Jan 9 at 13:21

answered Jan 9 at 13:14

Clodoaldo
8,1661928

	Yes, but I'd like to test something, so I want to encode all entries. Decoding I can ;) – Quandary Jan 9 at 15:54
	@Quandary I don't understand your comment. – Clodoaldo Jan 9 at 16:00
	I'm working on the database. I want to test something. I need to HTML-encode the entries in one column of one table in the database, not the output on the html page. – Quandary Jan 9 at 16:03

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