>When I run the query:
>Select * FROM Customers FOR XML AUTO
>in Query Analyzer (SQL Server 2000), I get the result in XML format.
>Is it anyway that I can retrieve the same result as a String in VB using ADO?

Hi Ari. I've done this before using a command object. Here's some sample pseudo-code that might help.... This sample uses an sproc, but by changing a few object properties you should be able to call a Select statement directly just as well.

Dim cmd As ADODB.Command 
Dim objADOStream As ADODB.Stream 

set cmd = createobject("ADODB.Command")
set objADOStream = createobject("ADODB.Stream")

'Create empty stream
objADOStream.Open

'Get the XML AUTO string
With cmd
 .ActiveConnection = ConnectionString ' defined elsewhere
 .CommandText = "up_MyStoredProc"
 .CommandType = adCmdStoredProc
 .Properties("Output Stream") = objADOStream
 .Execute , , adExecuteStream
End With
Set cmd = Nothing

Set objADOStream = Nothing

msgbox objADOStream.ReadText(adReadAll)