LINQ to read XML

Question

I am using this XML file:

Could someone give me a C# code using LINQ, the simplest way to print this result:
(Note the extra space if it is a level2 node)

A
  A1
  A2
B
  B1
  B2
C

Currently I have written this code:

XDocument xdoc = XDocument.Load("data.xml"));
var lv1s = from lv1 in xdoc.Descendants("level1")
           select lv1.Attribute("name").Value;

foreach (var lv1 in lv1s)
{
    result.AppendLine(lv1);
    var lv2s = from lv2 in xdoc...???
}

user_37881 · Answer

Try this.

using System.Xml.Linq;

void Main()
{
    StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();

    //Load xml
    XDocument xdoc = XDocument.Load("data.xml");

    //Run query
    var lv1s = from lv1 in xdoc.Descendants("level1")
               select new { 
                   Header = lv1.Attribute("name").Value,
                   Children = lv1.Descendants("level2")
               };

    //Loop through results
    foreach (var lv1 in lv1s){
            result.AppendLine(lv1.Header);
            foreach(var lv2 in lv1.Children)
                 result.AppendLine("     " + lv2.Attribute("name").Value);
    }

    Console.WriteLine(result);
}

user_75701 · Answer

Or, if you want a more general approach - i.e. for nesting up to "levelN":

void Main()
{
    XElement rootElement = XElement.Load(@"c:\events	est.xml");

    Console.WriteLine(GetOutline(0, rootElement));  
}

private string GetOutline(int indentLevel, XElement element)
{
    StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();

    if (element.Attribute("name") != null)
    {
        result = result.AppendLine(new string(' ', indentLevel * 2) + element.Attribute("name").Value);
    }

    foreach (XElement childElement in element.Elements())
    {
        result.Append(GetOutline(indentLevel + 1, childElement));
    }

    return result.ToString();
}

user_75701 · Answer

A couple of plain old foreach loops provides a clean solution:

foreach (XElement level1Element in XElement.Load("data.xml").Elements("level1"))
{
    result.AppendLine(level1Element.Attribute("name").Value);

    foreach (XElement level2Element in level1Element.Elements("level2"))
    {
        result.AppendLine("  " + level2Element.Attribute("name").Value);
    }
}

Freddy_Rios_66372 · Answer

XDocument xdoc = XDocument.Load("data.xml");
var lv1s = xdoc.Root.Descendants("level1"); 
var lvs = lv1s.SelectMany(l=>
     new string[]{ l.Attribute("name").Value }
     .Union(
         l.Descendants("level2")
         .Select(l2=>"   " + l2.Attribute("name").Value)
      )
    );
foreach (var lv in lvs)
{
   result.AppendLine(lv);
}

Ps. You have to use .Root on any of these versions.

LINQ to read XML

5 Answers