The new xml data type provides several methods to allow querying and modification of XML data. These new methods, including the query(), value(), exist(), nodes(), and modify() methods, support XQuery querying, XML shredding, and XML DML manipulation of your XML data. The SQL Server 2008 XQuery implementation is a powerful subset of the W3C XML Query Language specification, featuring support for path expressions, FLWOR (for-let-whereorder- by-return) expressions, standard functions and operators, and XML DML statements.