XML namespace issue C#

Question

I have an XML and i am trying to get the node from XmlDocument, but due to some namespace issues, it is not returning me back the node I want.

The following is my XML.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<message xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://www.origoservices.com">
  <content>
    <application>
      <personal_client id="pc1">
        <title>Mr</title>
        <forenames>Test</forenames>
        <surname>SurName</surname>
        <sex>Male</sex>
      </personal_client>
      <personal_client id="pc2">
        <title>Mr</title>
        <forenames>Test</forenames>
        <surname>SurName</surname>
        <sex>Male</sex>
      </personal_client>
      <personal_client id="pc3">
        <title>Mr</title>
        <forenames>Test</forenames>
        <surname>SurName</surname>
        <sex>Male</sex>
      </personal_client>
    </application>
  </content>
</message>

Following is the C# code which I am using to get all the personal_client nodes from the above xml.

XmlDocument XMLDoc = new XmlDocument();
XMLDoc.PreserveWhitespace = true;
XMLDoc.Load("XML Loaded successfully");

XmlNamespaceManager nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(XMLDoc.NameTable);
nsmgr.AddNamespace("origo", "http://www.origoservices.com");
nsmgr.PushScope();

XmlNodeList xnList = XMLDoc.SelectNodes("//origo:message/m_content/application/personal_client", nsmgr);

All the time it is returning 0 nodes, please help.

I recommend that you use the newer XML object, so XDocument etc. — DavidG
– DavidG, Commented Nov 7, 2019 at 14:39
XMLDoc.Load() expects the path to the xml file as argument, why are you passing a message instead? — Innat3
– Innat3, Commented Nov 7, 2019 at 14:40
This way of querying objects in XML is probably the most cumbersome and exasperating approaches. It's quite off putting imo. — Paul Carlton
– Paul Carlton, Commented Mar 3, 2023 at 3:12

Markus · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-07 14:47:05Z

1

You need to specify the namespace for each element of the query because the default namespace is also applied to the sub-nodes. I've put your sample XML in a file called XmlFile1.xml and created the following sample:

var XMLDoc = new XmlDocument();
XMLDoc.Load("XmlFile1.xml");
XmlNamespaceManager nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(XMLDoc.NameTable);
nsmgr.AddNamespace("origo", "http://www.origoservices.com");
XmlNodeList xnList = XMLDoc.SelectNodes("//origo:message/origo:content/origo:application/origo:personal_client", nsmgr);

This code retrieves 3 nodes.

answered Nov 7, 2019 at 14:47

Markus

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2 Comments

Rober Over a year ago

yeah i got the node as well, but could you please tell me why it is not working when i am specifying the origo on the root element.

Markus Over a year ago

@Rober namespace declarations are also valid for the child elements. So the default namespace (xmlns=) is also valid on the children. Hence you need to specify it in the XPath query also in order to select the child nodes.

Innat3 · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-07 14:58:22Z

1

Here's another way

//Using the file path
var clients = XDocument.Load(xmlFilePath)
               .Descendants(XName.Get("personal_client", "http://www.origoservices.com"));

//Using the file content
var clients = XDocument.Parse(xmlFileContent)
               .Descendants(XName.Get("personal_client", "http://www.origoservices.com"));

And this way you can avoid putting the namespace

.Descendants().Where(x => x.Name.LocalName == "personal_client");

edited Nov 7, 2019 at 14:58

answered Nov 7, 2019 at 14:48

Innat3

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