Read a XML file using C#.Net

Question

<ns0:BookStore xmlns:ns0=URI

- <ns1:BookDetails xmlns:ns1= URI1 

  <ns1:Name>ns0:Name_0</ns1:Name>
  <ns1:PurchaseDate>1999-05-31T13:20:00.000-05:00</ns1:PurchaseDate>
  <ns1:SlNo>10</ns1:SlNo>
  <ns1:Id>8563452</ns1:Id>
  <ns1:Code>2631</ns1:Code>
  <ns1:Price>800.25</ns1:Price>
  </ns1:BookDetails>

- <ns2:BookDetails xmlns:ns2= URI1

  <ns2:Name>ns0:Name_0</ns2:Name>
  <ns2:PurchaseDate>1999-05-31T13:20:00.000-05:00</ns2:PurchaseDate>
  <ns2:SlNo>20</ns2:SlNo>
  <ns2:Id>8962596</ns2:Id>
  <ns2:Code>2563</ns2:Code>
  <ns2:Price>589.26</ns2:Price>
  </ns2:BookDetails>

- <ns3:BookDetails xmlns:ns3= URI1

  <ns3:Name>ns0:Name_0</ns3:Name>
  <ns3:PurchaseDate>1999-05-31T13:20:00.000-05:00</ns3:PurchaseDate>
  <ns3:SlNo>30</ns3:SlNo>
  <ns3:Id>1589652</ns3:Id>
  <ns3:Code>1589</ns3:Code>
  <ns3:Price>125.00</ns3:Price>
  </ns3:BookDetails>
  </ns0:BookStore>

I want to extarct the below 3 results from above XML.

Could you please help me, how to Extarct the below values using C# Window Application?

1: Combination of <ns1:PurchaseDate> + <ns1:SlNo> + <ns1:Id>

2: Combination of <ns2:PurchaseDate> + <ns2:SlNo> + <ns2:Id>

3: Combination of <ns3:PurchaseDate> + <ns3:SlNo> + <ns3:Id>

Answer 1

Consider to show us well-formed XML input, then we can post working code. Currently your posted sample is not well-formed XML as attribute values are not properly quoted (as in xmlns:ns= URI1).

And whether it is a Windows Application or some other .NET code, with .NET and C# since .NET 3.5 the preferred way to read out data from an XML document is LINQ to XML :

            XDocument doc = XDocument.Load("input.xml");

            XNamespace ns0 = "URI";
            XNamespace ns1 = "URI1";

            var data =
                from detail in doc.Element(ns0 + "BookStore").Elements(ns1 + "BookDetails")
                select new
                {
                    date = (DateTime)detail.Element(ns1 + "PurchaseDate"),
                    slNo = (int)detail.Element(ns1 + "SlNo"),
                    id = (int)detail.Element(ns1 + "Id")
                };

            List<string> threeValues =
                (from record in data.Take(3)
                 select string.Format("Date:{0}, SlNo: {1}, Id: {2}", record.date, record.slNo, record.id)).ToList();

That example first shows how to read out typed values like a DateTime. Of course if you know you only want the string contents you could directly take the string in one "from .. select" query.

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