PostgreSQL raises invalid_xml_document (SQLSTATE 2200M) when the supplied XML value is not well-formed or its encoding declaration conflicts with actual bytes.
PostgreSQL invalid_xml_document (SQLSTATE 2200M) appears when the XML you insert, update, or cast is not well-formed or has a wrong encoding declaration. Validate the XML with a linter or xmlparse, correct malformed tags or encoding, then rerun the statement to clear the error.
PostgreSQL Error 2200M
PostgreSQL raises invalid_xml_document (SQLSTATE 2200M) when a value supplied to an XML column, function, or operator is not a well-formed XML document.
The server parses the input against the W3C XML standard. Any structural mistake, invalid character, incorrect encoding declaration, or mismatched tag causes immediate failure and the query stops. Fixing the XML or casting it correctly clears the error.
Malformed tags generate the error most frequently.
A missing closing tag, overlapping elements, or an illegal character rejects the entire XML value.
Encoding mismatches also trigger the condition. Supplying UTF-8 bytes while declaring encoding="ISO-8859-1" makes PostgreSQL flag the document as invalid.
Using XMLPARSE(document ...) with content that includes multiple root nodes violates the single-root requirement and raises invalid_xml_document.
Improper entity references such as & instead of & or an undefined entity also produce the error.
Validate the XML outside the database first.
A lightweight linter such as xmllint quickly pinpoints malformed lines.
Inside PostgreSQL, wrap the value with xmlparse(content …) to test whether the server accepts it before saving to tables.
Correct encoding declarations so that the declared encoding matches the actual byte sequence.
When generating XML in SQL, build with xmlforest(), xmlelement(), and xmlagg() to guarantee well-formed output instead of manual string concatenation.
Galaxy27s AI copilot can automatically rewrite hand-built XML strings into these safe functions.
INSERT INTO tbl(xml_col) VALUES('') fails because tags mismatch. Replace with '' or build via xmlelement('a').
SELECT xpath('/doc', xmlparse(document '')); fails due to multiple roots. Wrap each element or use xmlparse(content ...).
Loading an XML file produced by another system with Windows-1252 characters but declaring UTF-8 causes byte 0x92 errors.
Re-encode file or change declaration.
Always generate XML with PostgreSQL xml functions rather than string concatenation.
Run xml_is_well_formed() checks in triggers or Galaxy-scheduled CI queries to catch issues before insert.
Store the original document in version control; Galaxy27s shared Collections let teams audit changes to XML-creating SQL.
2200L invalid_xml_content - Raised when document is well-formed but violates CONTENT restrictions.
2200N invalid_xml_comment - Occurs if XML comment syntax is invalid.
Fix by ensuring structure.
42601 syntax_error - Appears when XML literal quotes break surrounding SQL syntax. Use dollar-quoting to embed large XML safely.
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Use xml_is_well_formed() or xmlparse(content ...) in a SELECT. If the query returns rows, the document is safe.
Core PostgreSQL checks well-formedness only. Use external tools or extensions for DTD or XSD validation.
If the file declares ISO-8859-1 or contains hidden Windows-1252 bytes, PostgreSQL sees the mismatch and rejects it. Re-encode or fix the declaration.
Yes. Galaxy27s AI copilot rewrites manual string concatenations into safe xml functions and team Collections let you peer review XML-creating SQL.
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