How to get element content using only XPath and C# .NET

Question

I've found a lot of articles about how to get node content by using simple XPath expression and C#, for example:

XPath:

/bookstore/author/first-name

C#:

string xpathExpression = "/bookstore/author/first-name";

nodes = navigator.Select(xpathExpression);

I wonder how to get content that is inside of an element, and the same element is inside another element and another and another.
Just take a look on below code:

<Cell>          
    <CellContent>
        <Para>                               
            <ParaLine>                      
                <String>ABCabcABC abcABC abc ABCABCABC.</string> 
            </ParaLine>                      
        </Para>     
    </CellContent>
</Cell>

I only want to extract content ABCabcABC abcABC abc ABCABCABC. from String element.

Do you know how to resolve problem by use XPath expression and .Net C#?

sasha_gud · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-14 14:59:28Z

28

After googling c# .net xpath for few seconds you'll find this article, which provides example which you can easily modify to use XPathDocument, XPathNavigator and XPathNavigator::SelectSingleNode():

XPathNavigator nav;
XPathDocument docNav;
string xPath;

docNav = new XPathDocument("c:\\books.xml");
nav = docNav.CreateNavigator();
xPath = "/Cell/CellContent/Para/ParaLine/String/text()";

string value = nav.SelectSingleNode(xPath).Value

I recommend more reading on xPath syntax. Much more.

edited Jul 14, 2017 at 14:59

sasha_gud

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answered Apr 15, 2013 at 10:17

Vyktor

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2 Comments

mazury Over a year ago

I've had to deal with XPathNavigator, XPathDocument... . Problem is that file doesnt look like a simple xml. I mean <NameElement1><NameElement2>abababababababa</NameElement2></NameElement1>. One element include another element, here: <NameElement1<NameElement2 <NameElement3 abababababababa>>>. So simple XPath syntax doesn't work "/Cell/CellContent/Para/ParaLine/String/text()";. I ask about sth other solution then simple xpath expresion.

Vyktor Over a year ago

@mazury than it's not valid XML and you cannot use xPath

vijay · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-15 10:45:41Z

4

You can use Linq to XML as well to get value of specified element

var list = XDocument.Parse("xml string").Descendants("ParaLine")
                 .Select(x => x.Element("string").Value).ToList();

From above query you will get value of all the string element which are inside ParaLine tag.

answered Apr 15, 2013 at 10:45

vijay

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Comments

Mårten Wikström · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-15 10:09:35Z

3

navigator.SelectSingleNode("/Cell/CellContent/Para/ParaLine/String/text()").Value

answered Apr 15, 2013 at 10:09

Mårten Wikström

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