title: How to drop null values with a native Oracle XML DB Web Service?
body: <p>I am using native Oracle XML DB Web Services (using a PL/SQL function with a web service). 
  I want to drop null values (put nothing in the output (no XML element)). 
  It's working with Oracle 11.2.0.1.0 but not with Oracle 11.2.0.3.0. </p>
  
  <p>Just to clarify... I don't want to consume a webservice with PL/SQL, I want to publish my PL/SQL packages/procedures/functions as a web service!</p>
  
  <p>Hope someone can help me. 
  Thank you.</p>
  
  <p>In this example is the column "country" null.</p>
  
  <p>Oracle 11.2.0.1.0 (this is what I want):</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"&gt;
      &lt;soap:Body&gt;
    &lt;GET_PERSONOutput xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/TESTSTUFF/GET_PERSON"&gt;
          &lt;RETURN&gt;
            &lt;PERSON&gt;
            &lt;PERSON_ID&gt;3&lt;/PERSON_ID&gt;
            &lt;FIRST_NAME&gt;Harry&lt;/FIRST_NAME&gt;
            &lt;LAST_NAME&gt;Potter&lt;/LAST_NAME&gt;
          &lt;/PERSON&gt;
        &lt;/RETURN&gt;
      &lt;/GET_PERSONOutput&gt;
    &lt;/soap:Body&gt;
  &lt;/soap:Envelope&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Oracle 11.2.0.3.0:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"&gt;
    &lt;soap:Body&gt;
      &lt;GET_PERSONOutput xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/TESTSTUFF/GET_PERSON"&gt;
       &lt;RETURN&gt;
          &lt;PERSON&gt;
             &lt;PERSON_ID&gt;3&lt;/PERSON_ID&gt;
             &lt;FIRST_NAME&gt;Harry&lt;/FIRST_NAME&gt;
             &lt;LAST_NAME&gt;Potter&lt;/LAST_NAME&gt;
             &lt;COUNTRY/&gt;
          &lt;/PERSON&gt;
       &lt;/RETURN&gt;
      &lt;/GET_PERSONOutput&gt;
    &lt;/soap:Body&gt;
  &lt;/soap:Envelope&gt;
  </code></pre>