Create/Write XML File (Blank xml file created, nothing written)

[jcavard]

I want to create a XML file. I have this code, but nothing is written into the file ... it only creates a blank xml file.

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim openFolder As New FolderBrowserDialog
        Dim saveFile As New SaveFileDialog
 
        Dim sw As IO.StreamWriter
 
        Dim path As String
        Dim file As String
        Dim data As String
        Dim images() As String
 
        Try
            Button1.Enabled = False
            openFolder.ShowDialog()
 
            saveFile.FileName = "*.xml"
            saveFile.Filter = "XML File|*.xml"
            saveFile.ShowDialog()
 
            If openFolder.SelectedPath <> "" Then
                path = openFolder.SelectedPath
 
                If saveFile.FileName <> "" Then
                    file = saveFile.FileName
 
                    images = IO.Directory.GetFiles(path)
 
 
                    data = "<images directory=""photos/Nuit de la Joke"">" + vbNewLine
                    For i As Integer = 0 To images.Length - 1
                        If IO.Path.GetExtension(images(i)) = ".jpg" Then
                            data += "<imageNode jpegURL=""" & IO.Path.GetFileName(images(i)) & """ thumbURL=""" & IO.Path.GetFileName(images(i)) & """ title=""Title " & i & """</imageNode>" + vbNewLine
                        End If
                    Next
                    data += "</images>"
 
                    sw = New IO.StreamWriter(file)
                    sw.Write(data)
 
                    MsgBox(data)
                End If
            End If
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.ToString)
        Finally
            Button1.Enabled = True
        End Try
 
 
    End Sub

[vbdotnetboy]

you're going about creating an xml file all the wrong way... let me find my code that i use to create a new xml file and then you can use that to get you started. keep in mind there is a reason there's an XML namespace

[vbdotnetboy]

ok like i said this is some code i use to do a particular process but you should be able to get the idea of how to correctly create an xml file from scatch.

let me know if you have any questions.

Private Sub XMLInformation(ByVal mt As Boolean, ByVal isbn As StringBuilder, ByVal rating As String, ByVal age As String, ByVal anno As String, ByVal reviewer As String, ByVal page As String, ByVal title As String)
                'Determine if the xml file exists
                If File.Exists("guide.xml") Then
                    Dim xdoc As New Xml.XmlDocument
 
                    xdoc.Load("guide.xml")
 
                    Dim xnlist As Xml.XmlNodeList = xdoc.SelectNodes("//review[@mt='1']")
 
                    If xnlist.Count > 0 Then
                        If mt Then
                            Dim bFound As Boolean = False
 
                            For Each xnode As Xml.XmlNode In xnlist
                                Application.DoEvents()
                                Dim xelement As Xml.XmlElement = DirectCast(xnode, Xml.XmlElement)
 
                                If xelement.GetElementsByTagName("anno")(0).InnerText.ToLower.Equals(anno.ToLower.Trim) Then
                                    bFound = True
 
 
                                    For Each s As String In isbn.ToString.Split(";"c)
                                        Application.DoEvents()
                                        If s.Length <> 0 Then
                                            Dim xIsbn As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("isbn")
                                            xelement.SelectSingleNode("./isbns").AppendChild(xIsbn)
                                            xIsbn.SetAttribute("number", s.Trim)
                                        End If
                                    Next
 
                                    'Setup a new titles node
                                    Dim xTitle As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("title")
                                    xelement.SelectSingleNode("./titles").AppendChild(xTitle)
                                    xTitle.SetAttribute("value", title.Trim)
                                    xTitle.SetAttribute("page_count", page.Trim)
 
                                    Exit For
                                End If
                            Next
                            If Not bFound Then
                                CreateNewReviewNode(xdoc, mt, isbn, rating, age, anno, reviewer, page, title)
                            End If
                        Else
                            CreateNewReviewNode(xdoc, mt, isbn, rating, age, anno, reviewer, page, title)
                        End If
                    Else
                        CreateNewReviewNode(xdoc, mt, isbn, rating, age, anno, reviewer, page, title)
                    End If
 
                    xdoc.Save("guide.xml")
                Else
                    Dim xwtr As New Xml.XmlTextWriter("guide.xml", Encoding.UTF8)
 
                    xwtr.Formatting = Xml.Formatting.Indented
                    xwtr.Indentation = 4
                    xwtr.QuoteChar = """"c
                    xwtr.WriteStartDocument()
                    xwtr.WriteStartElement("guide")
                    xwtr.WriteEndElement()
 
                    xwtr.WriteEndDocument()
                    xwtr.Close()
                    XMLInformation(mt, isbn, rating, age, anno, reviewer, page, title)
                End If
            End Sub
 
            Private Sub CreateNewReviewNode(ByVal xdoc As Xml.XmlDocument, ByVal mt As Boolean, ByVal isbn As StringBuilder, ByVal rating As String, ByVal age As String, ByVal anno As String, ByVal reviewer As String, ByVal page As String, ByVal title As String)
                'Setup a new review element node
                Dim xReview As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("review")
                xdoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(xReview)
                'Add the attributes
                xReview.SetAttribute("mt", Convert.ToByte(mt).ToString.Trim)
                xReview.SetAttribute("rating", rating.Trim)
                xReview.SetAttribute("age", age)
                xReview.SetAttribute("reviewer", reviewer.Trim)
 
 
                'Setup a new isbns node
                Dim xIsbns As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("isbns")
                For Each s As String In isbn.ToString.Split(";"c)
                    Application.DoEvents()
                    If s.Length <> 0 Then
                        Dim xIsbn As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("isbn")
                        xIsbns.AppendChild(xIsbn)
                        xIsbn.SetAttribute("number", s.Trim)
                    End If
                Next
                xReview.AppendChild(xIsbns)
 
                'Setup a new titles node
                Dim xTitles As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("titles")
                Dim xTitle As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("title")
                xTitles.AppendChild(xTitle)
                xTitle.SetAttribute("value", title.Trim)
                xTitle.SetAttribute("page_count", page.Trim)
                xReview.AppendChild(xTitles)
 
                'Setup a new anno node
                Dim xAnno As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("anno")
                'Setup a xml text object
                Dim xAnnoText As Xml.XmlText = xdoc.CreateTextNode(anno.Trim)
                xAnno.AppendChild(xAnnoText)
                xReview.AppendChild(xAnno)
            End Sub

[jcavard]

thank you
It's the first time I work with XML File. I don't know what it is, I don't why we use this, I don't understand anything. Thing is that I have a Flash ImageGallery that use XML file to list picture, with over 200 picture, I didnt want to write it all, so I created this litttle app.

thanks for you code.

[vbdotnetboy]

np like i said if you don't understand anything or have a question just let me know... fyi... when i first started creating xml file i did it the same way, by basically creating a new xml file and writing all the xml code, attr, and values by hand rather then letting the .net framework work for me... so to put it.

[jcavard]

well, I'm a bit lost.

Can you tell me what these two sub are doing and where should I put it??

[vbdotnetboy]

don't worry about the methods and what they really do... look more at the different xml classes that i use in order to create an xml file that was the purpose of posting my code that i use...

1) in the XMLInformation method i use it recursive method... go to the else statement, that's where the guide.xml file is first created. it then calls itself again.

2) now that we have the file created we need to start adding the elements to the xml file.

[jcavard]

thanks for your help boy.

it's not the first time you help me, since i must spread around before giving you some rating!

[vbdotnetboy]

did you get it because if not i'm working on a solution for you

[vbdotnetboy]

here's a solution for you

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim openFolder As New FolderBrowserDialog
        Dim saveFile As New SaveFileDialog
 
        Dim sw As IO.StreamWriter
 
        Dim path As String
        Dim file As String
        Dim data As String
        Dim images() As String
 
        Try
            Button1.Enabled = False
            openFolder.ShowDialog()
 
            saveFile.FileName = "*.xml"
            saveFile.Filter = "XML File|*.xml"
            saveFile.ShowDialog()
 
            If openFolder.SelectedPath <> "" Then
                path = openFolder.SelectedPath
 
                If saveFile.FileName <> "" Then
                    file = saveFile.FileName
 
                    images = IO.Directory.GetFiles(path)
 
                    'Create the xml file
                    If Not IO.File.Exists(file) Then
                        Dim xwtr As New Xml.XmlTextWriter(file, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8)
 
                        xwtr.Formatting = Xml.Formatting.Indented
                        xwtr.Indentation = 4
                        xwtr.QuoteChar = """"c
                        xwtr.WriteStartDocument()
                        'use whatever you want for the root node
                        xwtr.WriteStartElement("ImageGallery")
                        xwtr.WriteEndElement()
 
                        xwtr.WriteEndDocument()
                        xwtr.Close()
                    End If
 
                    '        data = "<images directory=""photos/Nuit de la Joke"">" + vbNewLine
                    Dim xdoc As New Xml.XmlDocument
 
                    xdoc.Load(file)
                    For i As Integer = 0 To images.Length - 1
                        If IO.Path.GetExtension(images(i)) = ".jpg" Then
                            'Setup a new image element node
                            Dim xImage As Xml.XmlElement = xdoc.CreateElement("imageNode")
                            xdoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(xImage)
                            'Add the attributes to the image node
                            xImage.SetAttribute("jpegURL", IO.Path.GetFileName(images(i)))
                            xImage.SetAttribute("thumbURL", IO.Path.GetFileName(images(i)))
                            xImage.SetAttribute("title", "Title " + i.ToString)
 
                            'Save the new value to the xml file
                            xdoc.Save(file)
                        End If
                    Next
                    '        data += "</images>"
 
                    '        sw = New IO.StreamWriter(file)
                    '        sw.Write(data)
 
                    '        MsgBox(data)
                End If
            End If
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.ToString)
        Finally
            Button1.Enabled = True
        End Try
 
 
    End Sub

here is the xml if produced.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ImageGallery>
  <imageNode jpegURL="100_1103.jpg" thumbURL="100_1103.jpg" title="Title 0" />
  <imageNode jpegURL="100_1113.jpg" thumbURL="100_1113.jpg" title="Title 1" />
  <imageNode jpegURL="100_1114.jpg" thumbURL="100_1114.jpg" title="Title 2" />
  <imageNode jpegURL="100_1115.jpg" thumbURL="100_1115.jpg" title="Title 3" />
  <imageNode jpegURL="100_1116.jpg" thumbURL="100_1116.jpg" title="Title 4" />
</ImageGallery>

[jcavard]

hay! thank again man! really, thanks for your time! it works flawless

[vbdotnetboy]

np and anytime