In vb.net and using the XML document, How can I replace certain strings with values regardless of what node it is in?

Question

In vb.net and using the XML document, how do I replace certain strings with values - regardless of what node it is in - and then write the xml file back? I don't want to hard code node names as I don't know if the node name will change in the future.

I have an xml file with different variables surrounded by %%. I need to find them and change their values depending.

Variables are: %ip% %netmask-bits% %gateway% %ns% %hostname% %password% %tz% %key% %server% %mac-windows%

VB code that I started is:

    Imports System.Xml

    Dim xmlNode1 As XmlNode
    Dim strIp As String
    Dim strIPNewValue As String = "1.1.1.1"
    Dim bSuccess As Boolean = False

    Dim myXmlDocument As XmlDocument = New XmlDocument()

    myXmlDocument.Load("unattend.xml")

    xmlNode1 = myXmlDocument.DocumentElement

    ' Fields to match.
    strIp = "%ip%"

    ' Just do one pass threw and change the variables. 
    ' I don't want to hard code node names as I don't know if the node names
    ' will change in the future.

    ' Not sure how to proceed...


    If bSuccess = True Then
        myXmlDocument.Save("unattend.xml")
        Console.WriteLine("The XML file was saved successfully.")
    Else
        Console.WriteLine("The entry was not found.")
    End If

The unattend.xml XML file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <SetupUILanguage>
            <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
        </SetupUILanguage>
        <InputLocale>en-US</InputLocale>
        <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
        <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
        <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
    </component>
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <DiskConfiguration>
            <Disk wcm:action="add">
                <CreatePartitions>
                    <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                        <Order>1</Order>
                        <Size>350</Size>
                        <Type>Primary</Type>
                    </CreatePartition>
                    <CreatePartition wcm:action="add">
                        <Extend>true</Extend>
                        <Order>2</Order>
                        <Type>Primary</Type>
                    </CreatePartition>
                </CreatePartitions>
                <ModifyPartitions>
                    <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                        <Active>true</Active>
                        <Format>NTFS</Format>
                        <Label>Boot</Label>
                        <Order>1</Order>
                        <PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
                    </ModifyPartition>
                    <ModifyPartition wcm:action="add">
                        <Format>NTFS</Format>
                        <Label>System</Label>
                        <Order>2</Order>
                        <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
                    </ModifyPartition>
                </ModifyPartitions>
                <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                <WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
            </Disk>
        </DiskConfiguration>
        <ImageInstall>
            <OSImage>
                <InstallFrom>
                    <MetaData wcm:action="add">
                        <Key>/IMAGE/NAME</Key>
                        <Value>Windows Server 2012 R2 SERVERSTANDARD</Value>
                    </MetaData>
                </InstallFrom>
                <InstallTo>
                    <DiskID>0</DiskID>
                    <PartitionID>2</PartitionID>
                </InstallTo>
            </OSImage>
        </ImageInstall>
        <UserData>
            <ProductKey>
                <Key>%key%</Key>
                <WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
            </ProductKey>
            <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            <FullName>Administrator</FullName>
            <Organization> </Organization>
        </UserData>
    </component>
</settings>
<settings pass="specialize">
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <OEMInformation>
            <HelpCustomized>false</HelpCustomized>
        </OEMInformation>
        <ComputerName>%hostname%</ComputerName>
        <TimeZone>%tz%</TimeZone>
        <RegisteredOwner/>
    </component>
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <SkipAutoActivation>true</SkipAutoActivation>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-TCPIP" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
        <Interfaces>
            <Interface wcm:action="add">
                <Identifier>%mac-windows%</Identifier> 
                <Ipv4Settings>
                    <DhcpEnabled>false</DhcpEnabled> 
                    <Metric>20</Metric> 
                    <RouterDiscoveryEnabled>false</RouterDiscoveryEnabled> 
                </Ipv4Settings>
                <UnicastIpAddresses>
                    <IpAddress wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">%ip%/%netmask-bits%</IpAddress> 
                </UnicastIpAddresses>
                <Routes>
                    <Route wcm:action="add">
                        <Identifier>0</Identifier> 
                        <Prefix>0.0.0.0/0</Prefix> 
                        <Metric>20</Metric> 
                        <NextHopAddress>%gateway%</NextHopAddress> 
                    </Route>
                </Routes>
                <DNSServerSearchOrder>
                </DNSServerSearchOrder>
            </Interface>
        </Interfaces>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Client" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
        <Interfaces>
            <Interface wcm:action="add">
                <Identifier>%mac-windows%</Identifier>
                <DNSServerSearchOrder>
                    <IpAddress wcm:action="add" wcm:keyValue="1">%ns%</IpAddress>
                </DNSServerSearchOrder>
            </Interface>
        </Interfaces>
    </component>
    <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
        <RunSynchronous>
            <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
                <Order>1</Order>
                <Path>cmd.exe /c powershell Invoke-WebRequest "http://%server%/installation-finished"</Path>
                <Description>Post-installation notification</Description>
            </RunSynchronousCommand>
        </RunSynchronous>
    </component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
    <component xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <OOBE>
            <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
            <HideLocalAccountScreen>true</HideLocalAccountScreen>
            <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
            <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
            <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
            <NetworkLocation>Home</NetworkLocation>
            <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
        </OOBE>
        <UserAccounts>
            <AdministratorPassword>
                <Value>%password%</Value>
                <PlainText>true</PlainText>
            </AdministratorPassword>
        </UserAccounts>
        <RegisteredOwner/>
    </component>
</settings>
<settings pass="offlineServicing">
     <component     xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State"         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="Microsoft-Windows-   LUA-Settings" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"    language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS">
        <EnableLUA>false</EnableLUA>
       </component>
   </settings>
  </unattend>

Simple string replacement should do the job fine as far as I can see.. — har07
– har07, Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 14:16

LinusN · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-26 21:46:20Z

1

Since the file is not very large I would probably just read it to a string variable (using System.IO.File.ReadAllText) and just run the String.Replace method for each of the keywords.

answered Jan 26, 2016 at 21:46

LinusN

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codiee · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-18 08:51:23Z

0

    Imports System.Xml
    Module Module1
    Sub Main()
    Dim DocumentFileLocation As String = "your xml document location"
    Dim DocumentString As String = IO.File.ReadAllText(DocumentFileLocation)
    Dim Document = XmlReader.Create(DocumentString) 'do whatever you want in the xml
    ReplaceContentAndSave(DocumentString.Replace(char1, char2), DocumentFileLocation)
    'Your Document Reading Loop
    Do While Document.Read
    'do something
    Loop
    End Sub
    
    Sub ReplaceContentAndSave(newContent As String, path As String)
    My.Computer.FileSystem.WriteAllText(path, newContent, False)
    End Sub
    
    End Module

if it doen't work it's becuase I didn't test it out

answered Jul 18, 2021 at 8:51

codiee

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