The nodes() method of the xml datatype makes this straight forward.

😎

DECLARE @X XML

SET @X = '<root>

<production.Categories categoryid="1" categoryname="Beverages" description="Soft drinks, coffees, teas, beers, and ales" />

<production.Categories categoryid="2" categoryname="Condiments" description="Sweet and savory sauces, relishes, spreads, and seasonings" />

<production.Categories categoryid="3" categoryname="Confections" description="Desserts, candies, and sweet breads" />

<production.Categories categoryid="4" categoryname="Dairy Products" description="Cheeses" />

<production.Categories categoryid="5" categoryname="Grains/Cereals" description="Breads, crackers, pasta, and cereal" />

<production.Categories categoryid="6" categoryname="Meat/Poultry" description="Prepared meats" />

<production.Categories categoryid="7" categoryname="Produce" description="Dried fruit and bean curd" />

<production.Categories categoryid="8" categoryname="Seafood" description="Seaweed and fish" />

<production.Categories categoryid="9" categoryname="Beer" description="Budweiser" />

<production.Categories categoryid="10" categoryname="Liquor" description="Captain Morgan" />

</root>'

SELECT

RO.CT.value('@categoryid','INT') AS categoryid

,RO.CT.value('@categoryname','NVARCHAR(250)') AS categoryname

,RO.CT.value('@description','NVARCHAR(2048)') AS description

FROM @X.nodes('root/production.Categories') AS RO(CT);

Output

categoryid categoryname description

----------- -------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------

1 Beverages Soft drinks, coffees, teas, beers, and ales

2 Condiments Sweet and savory sauces, relishes, spreads, and seasonings

3 Confections Desserts, candies, and sweet breads

4 Dairy Products Cheeses

5 Grains/Cereals Breads, crackers, pasta, and cereal

6 Meat/Poultry Prepared meats

7 Produce Dried fruit and bean curd

8 Seafood Seaweed and fish

9 Beer Budweiser

10 Liquor Captain Morgan