How to access specific XML element with C#

Question

I'm working with an API that is XML only and it's been ages since I've done anything with XML.

The response is below.

How do I get the value of <status>. I tried doing this:

XmlNodeList results = xmlDoc.GetElementsByTagName("ProcessRequestResult");

But I just end up with InnerText full of XML that I can't figure out how to parse correctly.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<soap:Body>
<ProcessRequestResponse>
<ProcessRequestResult>
    <ConsumerAddEntryResponse>
          <Status>Failed</Status>

If all you want to do is get the value you should be able to use xmlDoc.Decendants("Status") in a foreach loop. — Hjalmar Z
– Hjalmar Z, Commented Apr 25, 2013 at 19:00
Didn't realize you were using XmlDocument and not XDocument, disregard my previous comment. — Hjalmar Z
– Hjalmar Z, Commented Apr 25, 2013 at 19:37

I4V · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-25 21:31:07Z

4

How about using Linq To Xml?

var xDoc = XDocument.Parse(xml); //OR XDocument.Load(filename)
string status = xDoc.Descendants("Status").First().Value;

EDIT

The xml I used to test

string xml = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""?>
            <soap:Envelope xmlns:soap=""http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"" xmlns:xsi=""http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"" xmlns:xsd=""http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"">
            <soap:Body>
                <ProcessRequestResponse>
                    <ProcessRequestResult>
                        <ConsumerAddEntryResponse>
                                <Status>Failed</Status>
                        </ConsumerAddEntryResponse>
                    </ProcessRequestResult>
                </ProcessRequestResponse>
            </soap:Body>
            </soap:Envelope>";

EDIT 2

 string xml = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""?>
            <soap:Envelope xmlns:soap=""http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"" xmlns:xsi=""http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"" xmlns:xsd=""http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"">
            <soap:Body>
                <ProcessRequestResponse xmlns=""http://submission.api.domain/"">
                    <ProcessRequestResult>
                        <ConsumerAddEntryResponse>
                                <Status>Failed</Status>
                        </ConsumerAddEntryResponse>
                    </ProcessRequestResult>
                </ProcessRequestResponse>
            </soap:Body>
            </soap:Envelope>";

var xDoc = XDocument.Parse(xml);
XNamespace ns = "http://submission.api.domain/";
string status = xDoc.Descendants(ns + "Status").First().Value;

edited Apr 25, 2013 at 21:31

answered Apr 25, 2013 at 19:12

I4V

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10 Comments

Hjalmar Z Over a year ago

This is what I would have done, Jack uses XmlDocument though.

I4V Over a year ago

@HjalmarZ because it's been ages since I've done anything with XML ;)

Jack Marchetti Over a year ago

None of these options are working which is leading me to believe their XML being returned is wrong.

I4V Over a year ago

@JackMarchetti the xml you have posted misses many closing tags, I appended them to the xml and then run above code. It worked of course. See the updated answer.

I4V Over a year ago

@JackMarchetti I was expecting that question :) see the edit2

|

phadaphunk · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-25 19:08:06Z

4

Load your xml with XmlDocument and fetch the desired node with XPath. (I did not test the line but it would look like this)

The document loading process :

var xmlDocument = new XmlDocument();
xmlDocument.Load("someXmlFile.xml");

The node(s) loading process :

//Single node would be :
XmlNode xNode = xmlDocument.SelectSingleNode("//ConsumerAddEntryResponse/Status");

//More than 1 node would be :
XmlNodeList xNodes = xmlDocument.SelectNodes("//ConsumerAddEntryResponse/Status");

edited Apr 25, 2013 at 19:08

answered Apr 25, 2013 at 18:56

phadaphunk

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7 Comments

Jack Marchetti Over a year ago

Tried that. xnode is null.

phadaphunk Over a year ago

@JackMarchetti I changed it. Try it like this

Jack Marchetti Over a year ago

Still null. any other ideas?

phadaphunk Over a year ago

Well it should not be. Have you checked if your xm l document is null first?

Jack Marchetti Over a year ago

Yeah my XMLDoc is definitely not null. I think the XML they're sending back isn't properly formatted as if I do an XMLVisualize on the InnerXml from the xmldoc the "nodes" don't seem to line up.

|

Alex · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-25 19:08:11Z

0

Also, it's possible to use LINQ2XML

var s = "<ProcessRequestResponse.....";
var doc = XDocument.Parse(s);
string value = doc.Element("ProcessRequestResponse")
.Element("ProcessRequestResult")
.Element("ConsumerAddEntryResponse")
.Element("Status")
.Value;

answered Apr 25, 2013 at 19:08

Alex

191 bronze badge

2 Comments

I4V Over a year ago

But OP's xml start with soap:Envelope and soap:Body. Not with ProcessRequestResponse

Alex Over a year ago

It does not matter. it's just example.

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