XML / XSL

<?xml version='1.0' ?>
<xsl:stylesheet version='1.0' xmlns:xsl='http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform'>
    <xsl:template match="/">
        <xsl:for-each select="x/y[not ((descendant::a) or (descendant::b))]">
            <xsl:value-of select="."/>
        </xsl:for-each>
    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

// within loop
XmlNode thisNameNode = aNode.attributes.getNamedItem("thisname");
XmlNode thisIdNode = aNode.attributes.getNamedItem("thisid");
if (thisNameNode != null && thisIdNode != null)
{
     string thisNameValue = thisNameNode.text;
     string thisIdValue = thisIdNode.text;
     // do what you need to do
     System.Web.UI.WebControls.ListItem item = new ListItem(thisNameValue, thisIdValue);
     DropDwonLis1.Items.Add(item);
 }

doc.loadXML( string_from_database)

XmlDocument xmlReceive = new XmlDocument();
if (xmlReceive != null)
{
   xmlReceive.LoadXml(xmlStringFromDataSet);

   // Now use XPath to get the results and add to your listbox
   XmlNodeList collResults = xmlReceive.SelectNodes("/your/xml/tag/path/here");
   if (collResults != null && collResults.Count > 0)
   {
      for(int i=0; i < collResults.Count; i++)
      {
         XmlNode nodeResult = collResults[i];
         if (nodeResult != null)
         {
            lstBox1.Items.Add(nodeResult.text);
         }
      }
   }
}

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"When the only tool you have is a hammer, a sore thumb you will have."