Parsing XML file using C# in Windows Form to display readable text.

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Parsing XML file using C# in Windows Form to display readable text.

shree dhavale

SSChasing Mays

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June 24, 2009 at 9:17 am

#206391

Hi, I am not sure this would be the correct forum but any direction is highly appreciated. I need to parse an XML file to diplay the contents in a readable format in a windows app. The XML file contains a resume. All I could get it to do so far is to bind it as a dataset in gridview. But it would be nice to see it in a text area with some formatting. Could anyone please point me in the right direction on how to do this? Thanks in advance.

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Florian Reischl SSC-Dedicated Points: 37301 More actions · Answer 1

shree dhavale (6/24/2009)
Hi, I am not sure this would be the correct forum

Truly not but I think I can help 😀

I need to parse an XML file to diplay the contents in a readable format in a windows app. The XML file contains a resume. All I could get it to do so far is to bind it as a dataset in gridview. But it would be nice to see it in a text area with some formatting. Could anyone please point me in the right direction on how to do this? Thanks in advance.

If you are able to define the XML and since your destination is a DataSet you can use the DataSet.ReadXml method to read the data. To ensure correct data format you can use method DataSet.ReadXmlSchema

If you are not able to define the XML format but it's structure is just slightly different to a DataSet XML try the System.Xml.XmlDataDocument which provides a property to get a DataSet. Load the XML, change the structure and use the resulting DataSet

If your XML looks very different you can use

* A System.Xml.XmlDocument and use SelectNodes with XPath to iterate through the nodes and build the DataSet

* A System.Xml.XmlReader read through and build your DataSet

* A System.Linq.XDocument and use LINQ to build your DataSet

Hope this helps

Flo

shree dhavale SSChasing Mays Points: 609 More actions · Answer 2

Thank you so much. I will give this a try and post a reply when it works!

Florian Reischl SSC-Dedicated Points: 37301 More actions · Answer 3

Glad I could help 🙂

If you need help with one of those approaches let me know

shree dhavale SSChasing Mays Points: 609 More actions · Answer 4

Hello again,

I tried using the select node approach but I dont think I am using the correct syntax. I used a code sample from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318499 for this but cant get it to work.

I am inserting the xml that I am trying to parse. Greatly appreciate all your help.

Shree

Dhavale

Florian Reischl SSC-Dedicated Points: 37301 More actions · Answer 5

Hi

Take the XML from the MSDN sample page and save it to disk.

With XmlDocument this would work to create a DataTable:

// using System.Xml

DataTable table = new DataTable();

table.Columns.Add("Title", typeof(string));

table.Columns.Add("Publisher", typeof(string));

XmlDocument dom = new XmlDocument();

dom.Load(@"C:\Users\Flo\Temp\Test\test.xml");

XmlNodeList bookList = dom.SelectNodes("Books/Book");

foreach (XmlElement book in bookList)

{

DataRow row = table.NewRow();

XmlText txt;

txt = (XmlText)book.SelectSingleNode("Title/text()");

row["Title"] = txt.Value;

txt = (XmlText)book.SelectSingleNode("Publisher/text()");

row["Publisher"] = txt.Value;

table.Rows.Add(row);

}

Personally I prefer LINQ and anonymous types for this:

DataTable table2 = new DataTable();

table2.Columns.Add("Title", typeof(string));

table2.Columns.Add("Publisher", typeof(string));

// using System.Xml.Linq

// using System.Xml.XPath

XDocument xdoc = Xdocument.Load(@"C:\Users\Flo\Temp\Test\test.xml");

var xBooks =

from xelement in xdoc.XPathSelectElements("Books/Book")

select new

{

Title = xelement.Element("Title").Value,

Publisher = xelement.Element("Publisher").Value

};

foreach (var item in xBooks)

{

DataRow row = table2.NewRow();

row["Title"] = item.Title;

row["Publisher"] = item.Publisher;

table2.Rows.Add(row);

}

Greets

Flo

shree dhavale SSChasing Mays Points: 609 More actions · Answer 6

Thank you so much for your time and detailed instructions. It worked this time!

Thanks again.

Shree

Florian Reischl SSC-Dedicated Points: 37301 More actions · Answer 7

Florian Reischl

SSC-Dedicated

Points: 37301

June 25, 2009 at 11:38 am

#1015509

Glad we could help! 🙂

nickwelhar Valued Member Points: 61 More actions · Answer 8

nickwelhar

Valued Member

Points: 61

March 14, 2015 at 1:32 am

#1784023

More XML Parser examples...

Nick

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004366 More actions · Answer 9

nickwelhar (3/14/2015)
More XML Parser examples...
Nick

Thanks for that (and I'm serious. Thank you very much!). I'm not a C# programmer but, as a DBA, I've always wanted to know if parsing XML in the front-end was any easier or not. Now I know. It's not.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)