GetListItems working with ows_metadata and viewfields

Question

This situation is not far out but is a conundrum...

I am using GetListItems to query a SharePoint 2010 list. My restrictions on the list are:

• return back only a few select fields (on top of the the default core columns that can't be helped)

• break up the ows_metadata field so the contents are treated as normal attributes instead of having to parse with a yucky regex.

It seems that I can do one OR the other, but not both. Either the ViewField must be empty and the ViewFields attribute Properties=TRUE, or the view field is specified and the ows_metadata field comes back as one big chunk. Is there a way to have both work?

What I want:

<z:row ows_fieldIActuallyWant="xyzzy" ows_MetaInfo_column1="foo" ows_MetaInfo_column2="bar" ows_MetaInfo_column3="bat"  ...[additional mandatory fields]... />

What I actually get (in both cases ViewFields attribute Properties="True"):

If the viewfield is left blank:

<z:row ows_MetaInfo_column1="foo" ows_MetaInfo_column2="bar" ows_MetaInfo_column3="bat"  ...[***ALL*** other fields]... />

or if viewfield is specified:

<z:row ows_fieldIActuallyWant="xyzzy" ows_MetaInfo="1;#column1|foo ows_MetaInfo_column2|bar ows_MetaInfo_column3|bat..."  ...[additional mandatory fields]... />

Is there a reason these 2 don't play well with each other?

Answer 1

(I'm going to go ahead and be a capricious jerk and answer my own question before anyone else gets a chance.)

I need to have both the property set to true, and a Field ref to MetaInfo to see the MetaInfo field broken up and still filter out extranious other fields. Like this:

<ViewFields Properties="True"> <FieldRef Name='MetaInfo' /> </ViewFields>

Hope it helps someone else.

Answer 2

Lol good answer! Placing these items in your call filter returns a more sorted and distinct view. Also reduces overhead