If you want to query JSON data using SQL, the good news is that SQL Server has built-in support for JSON. In this tutorial, you will learn how to perform SQL JSON query.
What is JSON?
JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. JSON is a text format that is completely language independent but uses conventions that are familiar to programmers of the C family of languages, including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, and many others.
What is SQL JSON Query?
SQL JSON query is a way to query JSON data using SQL. In SQL Server, you can use the JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY functions to query and modify JSON data.
How to Perform SQL JSON Query?
To perform SQL JSON query, you need to follow these steps:
- Create a table with a JSON column
- Insert JSON data into the table
- Query JSON data using JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY functions
Step 1: Create a table with a JSON column
To create a table with a JSON column, you can use the following SQL statement:
CREATE TABLE my_table (
id INT PRIMARY KEY,
data NVARCHAR(MAX) NOT NULL
)
The data column is of type NVARCHAR(MAX), which can store up to 2GB of Unicode characters. This column will hold the JSON data.
Step 2: Insert JSON data into the table
To insert JSON data into the table, you can use the following SQL statement:
INSERT INTO my_table (id, data)
VALUES (1, '{"name": "John Doe", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}')
This statement will insert a row into the my_table table with the JSON data in the data column.
Step 3: Query JSON data using JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY functions
To query JSON data using JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY functions, you can use the following SQL statements:
JSON_VALUE function
The JSON_VALUE function returns a scalar value from a JSON string.
SELECT JSON_VALUE(data, '$.name') as name
FROM my_table
This statement will return the name value from the JSON data in the data column.
name |
---|
John Doe |
JSON_QUERY function
The JSON_QUERY function returns a JSON fragment from a JSON string.
SELECT JSON_QUERY(data, '$.age') as age
FROM my_table
This statement will return the age value from the JSON data in the data column.
age |
---|
30 |
JSON_MODIFY function
The JSON_MODIFY function modifies a JSON string.
UPDATE my_table
SET data = JSON_MODIFY(data, '$.city', 'Los Angeles')
WHERE id = 1
This statement will update the city value from New York to Los Angeles in the JSON data in the data column.
Troubleshooting tips
- Make sure that you are using valid JSON format
- Make sure that your JSON path is correct
- Make sure that your JSON path matches the JSON structure
Conclusion
In conclusion, SQL JSON query is a powerful feature that allows you to query and modify JSON data using SQL Server. With the JSON_VALUE, JSON_QUERY, and JSON_MODIFY functions, you can easily extract and manipulate JSON data in your SQL queries.