XML/C#: Read content if only if attribute is correct

Question

I have an XML file as follows, and I'm trying to read the content of the Name tag, only if the attribute of the Record tag is what I want. (continued below code)

The XML file is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Database>
  <Record Number="1">
    <Name>John Doe</Name>
    <Position>1</Position>
    <HoursWorked>290</HoursWorked>
    <LastMonthChecked>0310</LastMonthChecked>
  </Record>
  <Record Number="2">
    <Name>Jane Doe</Name>
    <Position>1</Position>
    <HoursWorked>251</HoursWorked>
    <LastMonthChecked>0310</LastMonthChecked>
  </Record>
</Database>

This is the C# code I have so far:

 public static string GetName(int EmployeeNumber)
        {
            XmlTextReader DataReader = new XmlTextReader("Database.xml");
            DataReader.MoveToContent();
            while (DataReader.Read())
            {
                if (DataReader.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element
                    && DataReader.HasAttributes && DataReader.Name == "Record")
                {
                    DataReader.MoveToAttribute(EmployeeNumber);
                    DataReader.MoveToContent();
                    if (DataReader.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element
                        && DataReader.Name == "Name")
                    {
                      return DataReader.ReadContentAsString();
                    }
                }
            }
        }

So for example, if 2 is passed to the function, I want it to return the string "Jane Doe". I'm new to XML parsing, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Is the data so large that loading the whole document into an XmlDocument (and then using SelectSingleNode() etc.) isn't practical? — Rowland Shaw
– Rowland Shaw, Commented Mar 16, 2010 at 8:40

Gerrie Schenck · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-16 08:38:47Z

3

Use XPath for this.

Check this article: http://www.developer.com/xml/article.php/3383961/NET-and-XML-XPath-Queries.htm. It has an example that is very similar to your situation.

answered Mar 16, 2010 at 8:38

Gerrie Schenck

22.4k21 gold badges70 silver badges96 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Ashish Gupta · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-16 08:51:32Z

1

Could you try something like this:-

        public static string GetName(int EmployeeNumber)   
        {   
        XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument(); 
        doc.Load("Database.xml"); 
        XmlElement rootNode = doc.DocumentElement; 

        String query ="Record[@Number='"+EmployeeNumber.ToString()+"']/Name"; 
        XmlNode data= rootNode.SelectSingleNode(query); 
        return data.InnerText; 
        }

edited Mar 16, 2010 at 8:51

answered Mar 16, 2010 at 8:45

Ashish Gupta

15.2k21 gold badges81 silver badges136 bronze badges

Comments

Darin Dimitrov · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-16 08:40:09Z

1

You could use XPath if your XML is not very large:

using System;
using System.Xml.Linq;
using System.Xml.XPath;

public class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var elements = XDocument.Load("Database.xml")
            .XPathSelectElements("//Record[@Number='2']/Name");
        foreach (var item in elements)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(item.Value);
        }
    }
}

answered Mar 16, 2010 at 8:40

Darin Dimitrov

1.0m276 gold badges3.3k silver badges3k bronze badges

Comments

Christopher B. Adkins · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-16 08:57:31Z

1

string searchTerm = "2";

var list = from XElement segment in workingXmlDocument.Descendants(wix + "File")
           where segment.Attribute("Id").Value.ToString() == searchTerm
           select segment.Descendant("Name").Value;

That is a LINQ statement that will give you the name based on the variable searchTerm.

answered Mar 16, 2010 at 8:57

Christopher B. Adkins

3,5872 gold badges29 silver badges29 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

XML/C#: Read content if only if attribute is correct

4 Answers 4

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

Comments

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related