CODEWITHSUNDEEP
xmlc#-4.0linq-to-xml
Aage Torleif
Aage Torleif

Reputation: 2013

Dealing with different xml formats for the same data with using Xml.Linq;

I have all these XML records that are kind of written in two styles, they both contain the same information.

I'm new to LinQ but I thought this expression would just fine anything with a name attribute. But it fails and returns true. 

/* the failed query for the first Xml document */
/* I believed this said, find anything with a name attribute and return it's value */
public XDocument MyDocument= new XDocument().Load("this.xml");
List<string> allNames = MyDocument.Descendants()
    .Where( a => a.Attribute("name") != null )
    .Select( a => a.Value ).toList();

Here's two version's of xml

<RecListImgx>
    <locale id="1033" />
    <IMGPAK>
        <img name="1033sm.jpg"/>
        <img name="1033m.jpg"/>
        <img name="1033r.jpg"/>
        <img name="1033l.jpg"/>
    </IMGPAK>
</RecListImgx>


<RecListImgx>
    <locale id="1033" />
    <IMGPAK>
        <img>
           <name> 1033sm.jpg </name>
        </img>
        <img>
           <name> 1033s.jpg </name>
        </img>
        <img>
           <name> 1033m.jpg </name>
        </img>
        <img>
           <name> 1033l.jpg </name>
        </img>
    </IMGPAK>
</RecListImgx>

1. Is there a single query that can get the name field from both of these styles of XML?
2. What is the proper syntax for parsing the first type? I managed to navigate the second form just fine. But inline-attributes seem to fail to find the name attribute.
3. What's the difference in these formats?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 54

Answers (1)

Jon Skeet
Jon Skeet

Reputation: 1502396

Is there a single query that can get the name field from both of these styles of XML?

Yes.

List<string> allNames = MyDocument.Descendants("img")
    // Look for a name attribute first; if there isn't one, find the name
    // element instead.
    .Select(a => (string) a.Attribute("name") ?? a.Element("name").Value)
    .ToList();

What is the proper syntax for parsing the first type? I managed to navigate the second form just fine. But inline-attributes seem to fail to find the name attribute.

You're finding all the elements that have a name attribute - but then selecting the value of the element, not the value of the attribute. See above.

What's the difference in these formats?

Well one has a name child element with the value as a text node, whereas the other has a name attribute with the value as the attribute value.

Upvotes: 2

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