Ok, I'm a C# ASP.NET dev following orders: The orders are to take a given dataset, shred the XML and return columns. I've argued that it's easier to do the shredding on the ASP.NET side where we already have access to things like deserializers, etc, and the entire complex of known types, but no, the boss says "shred it on the server, return a dataset, bind the dataset to the columns of the gridview" so for now, I'm doing what I was told. This is all to head off the folks who will come along and say "bad requirements".

Task at hand:

Here's my code that works and does what I want it to:

DECLARE @table1 AS TABLE (
    ProductID    VARCHAR(10)
  , Name         VARCHAR(20)
  , Color        VARCHAR(20)
  , UserEntered  VARCHAR(20)
  , XmlField     XML
)

INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '12345','ball','red','john','<sizes><size name="medium"><price>10</price></size><size name="large"><price>20</price></size></sizes>'
INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '12346','ball','blue','adam','<sizes><size name="medium"><price>12</price></size><size name="large"><price>25</price></size></sizes>'
INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '12347','ring','red','john','<sizes><size name="medium"><price>5</price></size><size name="large"><price>8</price></size></sizes>'
INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '12348','ring','blue','adam','<sizes><size name="medium"><price>8</price></size><size name="large"><price>10</price></size></sizes>'
INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '23456','auto','black','ann','<auto><type>car</type><wheels>4</wheels><doors>4</doors><cylinders>3</cylinders></auto>'
INSERT INTO @table1 SELECT '23457','auto','black','ann','<auto><type>truck</type><wheels>4</wheels><doors>2</doors><cylinders>8</cylinders></auto><auto><type>car</type><wheels>4</wheels><doors>4</doors><cylinders>6</cylinders></auto>'

DECLARE @x XML
SELECT @x = (
    SELECT 
        ProductID
      , Name
      , Color
      , UserEntered
      , XmlField.query('
            for $vehicle in //auto
            return <auto 
                type = "{$vehicle/type}"
                wheels = "{$vehicle/wheels}"
                doors = "{$vehicle/doors}"
                cylinders = "{$vehicle/cylinders}"
            />')
    FROM @table1 table1
    WHERE Name = 'auto'
    FOR XML AUTO
)

SELECT @x

SELECT 
    ProductID    = T.Item.value('../@ProductID', 'varchar(10)')
  , Name         = T.Item.value('../@Name', 'varchar(20)')
  , Color        = T.Item.value('../@Color', 'varchar(20)')
  , UserEntered  = T.Item.value('../@UserEntered', 'varchar(20)')
  , VType        = T.Item.value('@type' , 'varchar(10)')
  , Wheels       = T.Item.value('@wheels', 'varchar(2)')
  , Doors        = T.Item.value('@doors', 'varchar(2)')
  , Cylinders    = T.Item.value('@cylinders', 'varchar(2)')
FROM   @x.nodes('//table1/auto') AS T(Item)

SELECT @x = (
    SELECT 
        ProductID
      , Name
      , Color
      , UserEntered
      , XmlField.query('
            for $object in //sizes/size
            return <size 
                name = "{$object/@name}"
                price = "{$object/price}"
            />')
    FROM @table1 table1
    WHERE Name IN ('ring', 'ball')
    FOR XML AUTO
)

SELECT @x

SELECT 
    ProductID    = T.Item.value('../@ProductID', 'varchar(10)')
  , Name         = T.Item.value('../@Name', 'varchar(20)')
  , Color        = T.Item.value('../@Color', 'varchar(20)')
  , UserEntered  = T.Item.value('../@UserEntered', 'varchar(20)')
  , SubName        = T.Item.value('@name' , 'varchar(10)')
  , Price       = T.Item.value('@price', 'varchar(2)')
FROM   @x.nodes('//table1/size') AS T(Item)

So for now, I'm trying to figure out if there's a better way to write the code than what I'm doing now... (I have a part 2 I'm about to go key in)