SQL Server: Replace invalid XML characters from a VARCHAR(MAX) field

Question

I have a VARCHAR(MAX) field which is being interfaced to an external system in XML format. The following errors were thrown by the interface:

mywebsite.com-2015-0202.xml:413005: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 29
ne and Luke's family in Santa Fe. You know you have a standing invitation,
                                                                               ^
mywebsite.com-2015-0202.xml:455971: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 25
The apprentice nodded, because frankly, who hadnt? That diseases like chol
                                                      ^
mywebsite.com.com-2015-0202.xml:456077: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 28
bon mot; a sentimental love of nature and animals; the proverbial British 
                                                                               ^
mywebsite.com-2015-0202.xml:472073: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 20
"Andyou want that?"
          ^
mywebsite.com-2015-0202.xml:492912: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 25
She couldnt live like this anymore.

We found that the following list of characters are invalid:

�








	

























I am trying to clean this data, and I found a SQL function to clean these characters here. However, the function was taking NVARCHAR(4000) as input parameter, so I have changed the function to use VARCHAR(MAX) instead.

Could anyone please advise if changing the NVARCHAR(4000) to VARCHAR(MAX) would produce wrong results? Sorry, I wouldn't be able to test this interface locally so thought to seek opinion/advise.

Original Function:

CREATE FUNCTION fnStripLowAscii (@InputString nvarchar(4000))
RETURNS nvarchar(4000)
AS
BEGIN
IF @InputString IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
  DECLARE @Counter int, @TestString nvarchar(40)

  SET @TestString = '%[' + NCHAR(0) + NCHAR(1) + NCHAR(2) + NCHAR(3) + NCHAR(4) + NCHAR(5) + NCHAR(6) + NCHAR(7) + NCHAR(8) + NCHAR(11) + NCHAR(12) + NCHAR(14) + NCHAR(15) + NCHAR(16) + NCHAR(17) + NCHAR(18) + NCHAR(19) + NCHAR(20) + NCHAR(21) + NCHAR(22) + NCHAR(23) + NCHAR(24) + NCHAR(25) + NCHAR(26) + NCHAR(27) + NCHAR(28) + NCHAR(29) + NCHAR(30) + NCHAR(31) + ']%'

  SELECT @Counter = PATINDEX (@TestString, @InputString COLLATE Latin1_General_BIN)

  WHILE @Counter <> 0
  BEGIN
    SELECT @InputString = STUFF(@InputString, @Counter, 1, NCHAR(164))
    SELECT @Counter = PATINDEX (@TestString, @InputString COLLATE Latin1_General_BIN)
  END
END
RETURN(@InputString)
END

Modified Version:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].RemoveInvalidXMLCharacters (@InputString VARCHAR(MAX))
RETURNS VARCHAR(MAX)
AS
BEGIN
    IF @InputString IS NOT NULL
    BEGIN
      DECLARE @Counter INT, @TestString NVARCHAR(40)

      SET @TestString = '%[' + NCHAR(0) + NCHAR(1) + NCHAR(2) + NCHAR(3) + NCHAR(4) + NCHAR(5) + NCHAR(6) + NCHAR(7) + NCHAR(8) + NCHAR(11) + NCHAR(12) + NCHAR(14) + NCHAR(15) + NCHAR(16) + NCHAR(17) + NCHAR(18) + NCHAR(19) + NCHAR(20) + NCHAR(21) + NCHAR(22) + NCHAR(23) + NCHAR(24) + NCHAR(25) + NCHAR(26) + NCHAR(27) + NCHAR(28) + NCHAR(29) + NCHAR(30) + NCHAR(31) + ']%'

      SELECT @Counter = PATINDEX (@TestString, @InputString COLLATE Latin1_General_BIN)

      WHILE @Counter <> 0
      BEGIN
        SELECT @InputString = STUFF(@InputString, @Counter, 1, ' ')
        SELECT @Counter = PATINDEX (@TestString, @InputString COLLATE Latin1_General_BIN)
      END
    END
    RETURN(@InputString)
END

Answer 1

There is a trick using the implicit conversion of VARBINARY to base64 and back:

Here your list of evil

DECLARE @evilChars VARCHAR(MAX)=
  CHAR(0x0)
+ CHAR(0x1)
+ CHAR(0x2)
+ CHAR(0x3)
+ CHAR(0x4)
+ CHAR(0x5)
+ CHAR(0x6)
+ CHAR(0x7)
+ CHAR(0x8)
+ CHAR(0x9)
+ CHAR(0xa)
+ CHAR(0xb)
+ CHAR(0xc)
+ CHAR(0xd)
+ CHAR(0xe)
+ CHAR(0xf)
+ CHAR(0x10)
+ CHAR(0x11)
+ CHAR(0x12)
+ CHAR(0x13)
+ CHAR(0x14)
+ CHAR(0x15)
+ CHAR(0x16)
+ CHAR(0x17)
+ CHAR(0x18)
+ CHAR(0x19)
+ CHAR(0x1a)
+ CHAR(0x1b)
+ CHAR(0x1c)
+ CHAR(0x1d)
+ CHAR(0x1e)
+ CHAR(0x1f)
+ CHAR(0x7f);

This works

DECLARE @XmlAsString NVARCHAR(MAX)=
(
    SELECT @evilChars FOR XML PATH('test')
);
SELECT @XmlAsString;

The result (some are "printed")

<test>&#x00;&#x01;&#x02;&#x03;&#x04;&#x05;&#x06;&#x07;&#x08;    
&#x0B;&#x0C;&#x0D;&#x0E;&#x0F;&#x10;&#x11;&#x12;&#x13;&#x14;&#x15;&#x16;&#x17;&#x18;&#x19;&#x1A;&#x1B;&#x1C;&#x1D;&#x1E;&#x1F;</test>

The following is forbidden

SELECT CAST(@XmlAsString AS XML)

But you can use the implicit conversion of VARBINARY to base64

DECLARE @base64 NVARCHAR(MAX)=
(
    SELECT CAST(@evilChars AS VARBINARY(MAX)) FOR XML PATH('test')
);
SELECT @base64;

The result

<test>AAECAwQFBgcICQoLDA0ODxAREhMUFRYXGBkaGxwdHh9/</test>

Now you've got your real XML including the special characters!

SELECT CAST(CAST(@base64 AS XML).value('/test[1]','varbinary(max)') AS VARCHAR(MAX)) FOR XML PATH('reconverted')

The result

<reconverted>&#x0;&#x1;&#x2;&#x3;&#x4;&#x5;&#x6;&#x7;&#x8;  
&#xB;&#xC;
&#xE;&#xF;&#x10;&#x11;&#x12;&#x13;&#x14;&#x15;&#x16;&#x17;&#x18;&#x19;&#x1A;&#x1B;&#x1C;&#x1D;&#x1E;&#x1F;</reconverted>

Answer 2

It is safe to use VARCHAR(MAX) as my data column is a VARCHAR(MAX) field. Also, there will be an overhead of converting VARCHAR(MAX) to NVARCHAR(MAX) if I pass a VARCHAR(MAX) field to the SQL function which accepts the NVARCHAR(MAX) param.

Thank you very much @RhysJones, @Damien_The_Unbeliever for your comments.