C# Discussion Boards - CodeProject

6-Aug-14 14:26

Hi,

first time poster.
I have been programming for quite a while (and used code project quite a lot) but have so far avoided to use XML files.
Now I have to and while I can parse the data, and read values, it still escapes me how XML is the new, so easy way to store ans retrieve data.

I have a XML structure that basically contains a list of files on a hard drive and while I can imagine all kinds of complicated loops to list all paths and files in a list box, I cannot find an easy way to accomplish that.
(I which I could upload an image of the structure
so here it is a code.
The length of the path (Contained folder) is totally arbitrary of course:

Thanks a lot for any input!!!

HTML

<pre>



<pre>
-<Drive>

<Name>C:</Name>



-<ContainedFolders>


-<Folder>

<Name>Program Files</Name>



-<ContainedFolders>


-<Folder>

<Name>VirtualBox</Name>



-<ContainedFolders>


<pre>&lt;Name&gt;TEST&lt;/Name

>

-<ContainedFiles>

-<File>

<Name>qtaccessiblewidgets4.dll</Name>

Dave Kreskowiak6-Aug-14 17:08

Dave Kreskowiak

6-Aug-14 17:08

XML really wasn't designed to be a database if that's what you mean by "store and retrieve data". It's more intended for the formatting, serialization, transmission and transformation of data. It just so happens that XML is a text format that happens to be very easily stored on any storage medium.

In any case, I think your schema could be laid out a bit better. Such as:

<drives>
    <drive identifier="C">
        <folders>
            <folder name="Program Files">
                <folders>
                    <folder name="Some Folder">
                        <folders />
                        <files>
                            <file name="MyApplication.exe" size="1064322" />
                            <file name="MyLibrary.dll" size="103223" />
                        </files>
                    </folder>
                    <files />
                </folders>
            </folder>
        </folders>
        <files>
            <file name="Some Junk.txt" size="2310" />
        </files>
    </drive>
</drives>

A better option would be to skip trying to worry about the details of the XML file and worry more about your class definitions that can be serialized into an XML file. That way you can just build an object graph with the data you're tracking and then just send it to the XmlSerializer and it'll create the XML file for you.

The same serializer can be used to reconstitute the graph from the XML data it wrote.

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Dave Kreskowiak

modified 7-Aug-14 1:33am.

Bernhard Hiller6-Aug-14 20:49

Bernhard Hiller

6-Aug-14 20:49

Do you have a schema definition (*.xsd file) for that type of XML files? If so, you can easily generate classes for handling the data with the xsd tool, e.g.

xsd.exe D:\Temp\gpx.xsd /classes /out:D:\Temp /language:CS

Richard Deeming7-Aug-14 1:35

7-Aug-14 1:35

Assuming you're just looking to get a list of the full paths of all the <File> elements, then LINQ makes this reasonably simple:

static string GetFullPath(XElement fileElement)
{
    var names = new HashSet<XName> { "Drive", "Folder", "File" };
    
    IEnumerable<string> pathParts = fileElements.AncestorsAndSelf()
        .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
        .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Name"))
        .Reverse();
    
    return string.Join("\\", pathParts);
}

...

const string xml = @"<Drive>
    <Name>C:</Name>
    <ContainedFolders>
        <Folder>
            <Name>Program Files</Name>
            <ContainedFolders>
                <Folder>
                    <Name>VirtualBox</Name>
                    <ContainedFolders>
                        <Folder>
                            <Name>Test</Name>
                            <ContainedFiles>
                                <File>
                                    <Name>qtaccessiblewidgets4.dll</Name>
                                </File>
                            </ContainedFiles>
                        </Folder>
                    </ContainedFolders>
                </Folder>
            </ContainedFolders>
        </Folder>
    </ContainedFolders>
</Drive>";


XDocument document = XDocument.Parse(xml);
IList<string> filePaths = document.Descendants("File").Select(GetFullPath).ToList();

LINQ[^]
LINQ to XML[^]

"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer

eblaschka10-Aug-14 11:39

10-Aug-14 11:39

Hi
This is driving me nuts.
Besides my first structure containing "drive" information, I also have a registry content XML file.
I thought I'd just apply some analogy and it sort of works but for some reason I do not seem to be able to dig deeper into the structure than <value> but I would like to get the value of <action>, <type> and <content> (inside if <value> too.

So here is the structure:

HTML

XML

<Registry>
        <RootKey>
          <Name>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE</Name>
          <Action>None</Action>
          <ContainedKeys>
            <Key>
              <Name>SOFTWARE</Name>
              <Action>None</Action>
              <ContainedKeys>
                <Key>
                  <Name>Classes</Name>
                  <Action>None</Action>
                  <ContainedKeys>
                    <Key>
                      <Name>Installer</Name>
                      <Action>None</Action>
                      <ContainedKeys>
                        <Key>
                          <Name>Features</Name>
                          <Action>None</Action>
                          <ContainedKeys>
                            <Key>
                              <Name>8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271</Name>
                              <Action>Created</Action>
                              <ContainedValues>
                                <Value>
                                  <Name>ClientPrograms</Name>
                                  <Action>Created</Action>
                                  <After>
                                    <Data>
                                      <Type>REG_SZ</Type>
                                      <Contents></Contents>
                                    </Data>
                                  </After>
                                </Value>
                                <Value>
                                  <Name>DataFiles</Name>
                                  <Action>Created</Action>
                                  <After>
                                    <Data>
                                      <Type>REG_SZ</Type>
                                      <Contents>Server</Contents>
                                    </Data>
                                  </After>
                                </Value>

Using the example that Richard gave, my code is:

<pre

     IList<string> Regs = document.Descendants("Value").Select(GetFullPathtoKey).ToList();
        

         static string GetFullPathtoKey(XElement fileElement)
        {
            var names = new HashSet<XName> { "RootKey", "Key", "Value","Type", "Name", "Data", "Contents" };

            IEnumerable<string> pathParts = fileElement.AncestorsAndSelf()
           .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
           .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Name"))
           .Reverse();
            return string.Join("\\", pathParts);
        }

<pre lang="text">

That works fine and a list entry is for instance:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\ClientPrograms

But if I extend the Path to include , it will just not work:
Like:

<pre
   IList<string> Regs = document.Descendants("Data").Select(GetFullPathtoKey).ToList();
        

      

         static string GetFullPathtoKey(XElement fileElement)
        {
            var names = new HashSet<XName> { "RootKey", "Key", "Value","Type", "Name", "Data", "Contents" };

            IEnumerable<string> pathParts = fileElement.AncestorsAndSelf()
           .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
           .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Contents"))
           .Reverse();
            return string.Join("\\", pathParts);
        }

<pre lang="text">

will give \\\\\\\\ for the first entry and
\\\\\\\Server for the second.

No I can create three lists for the path with Value, the Action and the Content, but that seems to be overkill.

After extracting the Path: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\ClientPrograms"

how can I derive easily the Action, Type and the Content???

I have been piddling with this for the whole weekend without success. I guess I do not understand what the difference is
between the path to <value> and the path to . Confused | :confused:

Thanks a lot for any help!!!!

Richard Deeming11-Aug-14 1:53

11-Aug-14 1:53

The problem with your second method is that your <Value>, <Key> and <RootKey> elements don't contain an element called "Contents". That means that you'll get the value from the <Contents> element under the <Data> element, and an empty string for each ancestor element.

If you just want to append the value from the <Contents> element to the path, then use:

static string GetFullPathToKey(XElement dataElement)
{
    var names = new HashSet<XName> { "RootKey", "Key", "Value", "Data" };

    IEnumerable<string> pathParts = dataElement.AncestorsAndSelf()
        .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
        .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Name") ?? (string)el.Element("Contents"))
        .Reverse();

    return string.Join("\\", pathParts);
}

IList<string> Regs = document.Descendants("Data").Select(GetFullPathToKey).ToList();
/*
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\ClientPrograms\ 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\DataFiles\Server 
*/

If you want to include the <Action>, <Type> and <Content> in a different format, then try something like this:

static string GetFullPathToKey(XElement dataElement)
{
    var names = new HashSet<XName> { "RootKey", "Key", "Value" };

    IEnumerable<string> pathParts = dataElement.AncestorsAndSelf()
        .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
        .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Name"))
        .Reverse();

    string fullPath = string.Join("\\", pathParts);

    string details = string.Format(" {{ Action: '{0}', Type: '{1}', Contents: '{2}' }}",
        (string)dataElement.Element("Action"),
        (string)dataElement.Elements("After").Elements("Data").Elements("Type").FirstOrDefault(),
        (string)dataElement.Elements("After").Elements("Data").Elements("Contents").FirstOrDefault());

    return fullPath + details;
}

IList<string> Regs = document.Descendants("Value").Select(GetFullPathToKey).ToList();
/*
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\ClientPrograms { Action: 'Created', Type: 'REG_SZ', Contents: '' } 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\8CD5D2FB0DBCDD64A8D2AB1D09CAF271\DataFiles { Action: 'Created', Type: 'REG_SZ', Contents: 'Server' }
*/

"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer

eblaschka12-Aug-14 4:42

12-Aug-14 4:42

Thank you Richard!!!

I really appreciate your help.

eblaschka12-Aug-14 11:14

12-Aug-14 11:14

You must be a true XML Linq wiz!

Thank you!

eblaschka7-Aug-14 13:03

7-Aug-14 13:03

Thank you everybody

Sorry, I did not get the formatting right ...

Richard, the "Descendants" look very promising.

Bernhard, thanks for the xsd tip, I'll have to check this out - again, first time XML user.

Dave, thanks for the reformatting. No I do not want to use XML as a database,
but this is the output of a disk analysis tool, that I need a human (management Big Grin | :-D

) readable report of.

Thanks again

Re: Thank you!

Dave Kreskowiak7-Aug-14 16:51

Dave Kreskowiak

7-Aug-14 16:51

eblaschka wrote:
this is the output of a disk analysis tool, that I need a human (management ) readable report of.

That would have helped if you put that in your original post. I wouldn't have suggested you start with the classes then.

I would agree with Bernhards use of the XSD tool to generate the classes for you. You could still use link over that object graph to your report data.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject

Click this: Asking questions is a skill.
Seriously, do it.

Dave Kreskowiak

Thank you!

eblaschka7-Aug-14 15:49

7-Aug-14 15:49

Thank you Dave for cleaning up my XML code, I really screwed up the format.
I definitely do not want to use XML as a database, but I do have an output file that I have to make human (rather: Management Big Grin | :-D

) readable for reports.

Thanks Bernhard, I will have to look into the xsd stuff.

Thanks Richard, your "Descendant" method. It works great, BUT only if I cut the file between <drives> part. (The Structur is bigger).
That is not a big issue, but is there something like "get everything from <file> and <drive> " ???
(How does "GetFullPath" know where to stop?)

Thanks a lot to all.

Re: Thank you!

Richard Deeming8-Aug-14 2:09

8-Aug-14 2:09

If you reply to someone's message, then they get notified that you've replied. If you reply to yourself, then nobody else will be notified. D'Oh! | :doh:

There's almost certainly a way to make it work, but without knowing the full structure of your XML file, we can only guess:

static string GetFullPath(XElement fileElement)
{
    var names = new HashSet<XName> { "Drive", "Folder", "File" };

    IEnumerable<string> pathParts = fileElements.AncestorsAndSelf()
        .TakeWhile(el => el.Name != "Drives") // Stop when you reach the <Drives> node
        .Where(el => names.Contains(el.Name))
        .Select(el => (string)el.Element("Name"))
        .Reverse();

    return string.Join("\\", pathParts);
}

"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer

Send Email Notifications from Server

PIEBALDconsult7-Aug-14 16:43

PIEBALDconsult

7-Aug-14 16:43

"can imagine all kinds of complicated loops"

Learn Xpath.

http://www.w3schools.com/xpath/xpath_intro.asp[^]

You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.

Jassim Rahma6-Aug-14 11:28

Jassim Rahma

6-Aug-14 11:28

Hi,

I have a C# WIndows Application Form with MySQL backend (which can be on Windows or Linux Server).

I want my application to send email notifications about the contracts data in my applications (contracts expiry notifications) by email according to a schedule(probably daily once)

What's the best cross platform way to do it which will work on windows and linux server?

Thanks

Technology News @ www.JassimRahma.com

Re: Send Email Notifications from Server

Bernhard Hiller6-Aug-14 20:54

Bernhard Hiller

6-Aug-14 20:54

There are some scripting languages available which can be used both on Linux and Windows, e.g. PERL. But do you really want to learn a new programming language just for that task, including all the WTFs of scripting languages?
I'd suggest to use a Windows Service which connects to your database to retrive the information and then sends the emails. Alternatively, a "normal" Windows console application is started as a "scheduled task" and does that job.

Re: Send Email Notifications from Server

Jassim Rahma10-Aug-14 10:19

Jassim Rahma

10-Aug-14 10:19

WIndows Services is fine but not when the user is away or traveling and don't have access to his PC which means the windows services will not run because his PC is switched off because the server side could be linux not windows!

Technology News @ www.JassimRahma.com

Re: Send Email Notifications from Server

Bernhard Hiller10-Aug-14 20:06

Bernhard Hiller

10-Aug-14 20:06

Jassim Rahma wrote:
the windows services will not run because his PC is switched off

Well, I do not know of any application or service to run on a switched-off computer...

.net framework

Member 109952356-Aug-14 1:07

Member 10995235

6-Aug-14 1:07

What is Framework of .net and its features?

Shail...

Re: .net framework

Pete O'Hanlon6-Aug-14 1:09

Pete O'Hanlon

6-Aug-14 1:09

Here you go. There's plenty of good material here[^].

Re: .net framework

Joe Woodbury6-Aug-14 14:00

Joe Woodbury

6-Aug-14 14:00

Wow, Pete, you are a genius!

Re: .net framework

Akhil Mittal6-Aug-14 20:07

Akhil Mittal

6-Aug-14 20:07

You can google this to find enough resources.Your question should be as specific and concise as possible.It would be good if it is related to a practical real time issue Smile | :)

Thanks
Do not forget to comment and rate the article if it helped you by any means.

After Call Through WebAPI, Entity Is Null

Kevin Marois5-Aug-14 8:14

Kevin Marois

5-Aug-14 8:14

I'm working on a WPF app that call through a ASP.Net MVC 4 Web API.

I make the following call:

public CompanyInfoAddressEntity AddCompanyInfoAddress(CompanyInfoAddressEntity entity)
{
    WebAPIExecutor webAPIExecutor = new WebAPIExecutor("/CompanyInfoAddresses/AddCompanyInfoAddress/");
    webAPIExecutor.AddParameter(entity, "entity");
    CompanyInfoAddressEntity results = webAPIExecutor.Execute<CompanyInfoAddressEntity>();
    return results;
}

When I call into Execute, it runs fine and the entity is passed to the controller, BL, and DAL fine. But when it returns back to here, the 'entity' object is null.

I have no idea what's wrong. How do I debug this sort of problem?

If it's not broken, fix it until it is

Re: After Call Through WebAPI, Entity Is Null

Richard Deeming5-Aug-14 8:48