Okay all, just got out of a meeting and went back to it. I think I have it all sorted except for one, tiny portion:

, 'StorageLocation'

= STUFF

(

(

SELECT ','

+ COALESCE('Rm: ' + lbr2.Room, '')

+ COALESCE(', Cab: ' + ll2.fkCabinet, '')

+ COALESCE(', Bin: ' + CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.Bin) AS varchar(20)), '')

+ COALESCE(', Box: ' + CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.Box) AS varchar(20)), '')

+ COALESCE(', ' + CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.StartColumn) AS varchar(2))

+ CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.StartRow) AS varchar(2)), '')

+ COALESCE(' --> ' + CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.EndColumn) AS varchar(2))

+ CAST(DecryptByKey(ll2.EndRow) AS varchar(2)), '')

FROM

dbo.tblLotLocation AS ll2

INNER JOIN

dbo.tblLocationBldgRoom AS lbr2 ON lbr2.pkLocationBldgRoomId = ll2.fkLocationBldgRoomId

WHERE

ll2.fkItemLotId = od.fkItemLotId

ORDER BY

pkLotLocationId

FOR XML PATH(''),

TYPE

).value('.','varchar(max)')

,1

,1

,''

)

This is the section I am a bit stuck on:

).value('.','varchar(max)')

I have read that .value() is an XQury function that accepts an XML data type and converts it to SQL Server data type. Makes sense.

From MSDN: value (XQuery, SQLType), where "XQuery - is the XQuery expression, a string literal, that retrieves data inside the XML instance" and "SQLType - Is the preferred SQL type."

But what is the XQuery '.' literal actually doing? Can I *assume* that since an empty string is sent to FOR XML PATH('') no root node name is created, and that the '.' argument in the XQuery is just looking at the unnamed root for its data?

Thanks.

Kurt