How to parse XML file in C# using LINQ?

Question

I have this XML file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<NewSounds>
    <Artists>
      <Artist>Avril Lavigne</Artist>
      <Artist>Bob Marley</Artist>
      <Artist>Coldplay</Artist>
    </Artists>

  <Genres>
    <Genre>Rock</Genre>    
    <Genre>Jazz</Genre>
    <Genre>Metal</Genre>
  </Genres>
</NewSounds>

How do I parse this simple XML file in LINQ? I know very little about LINQ, this is what I have:

var artists = xml.Descendants("Artists")
                    .Elements("Artist")
                    .Select(a => new Artist {
                        Name = a.Element("Artist").Value
                    }).ToArray();

Problem is, it throws up a System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. error on the .Select part (maybe because it can't find the value?).

I'd like to traverse the XML and grab the relevant parts inside the <Artist> and <Genre> tags.

SLaks · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-30 16:47:42Z

7

a in your Select() callback is the <Artist> element. a.Element("Artist") isn't anything.

answered Nov 30, 2012 at 16:47

SLaks

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Comments

Sergey Berezovskiy · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-30 16:54:39Z

2

Cast element to string, instead of accessing Value property. In this case you will not get exception if element is null:

var artists = xml.Descendants("Artists")
                    .Elements("Artist")
                    .Select(a => new Artist {
                        Name = (string)a.Element("Artist")
                    }).ToArray();

edited Nov 30, 2012 at 16:54

answered Nov 30, 2012 at 16:48

Sergey Berezovskiy

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