XML Editing

Hello All,

I am currently trying to create a VB program that will take an XML document, search through it for certain specified fields and if I choose, change them. Then it will save it as a different titled XML file.

I first tried opening it in notepad format and changing via a text editor, however I can't save it correctly back into XML format.

I then found code for VB concerning XML files. Tweaking this a bit I am able to extract certain data, but I am unable to alter this data and save it as a retitled XML file.

Here is my code currently:

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Private m_AppPath As String

' Return the node's value.
Private Function GetNodeValue(ByVal start_at_node As IXMLDOMNode, ByVal node_name As String, Optional ByVal default_value As String = "") As String
Dim value_node As IXMLDOMNode

    Set value_node = start_at_node.selectSingleNode(".//" & node_name)
    If value_node Is Nothing Then
        GetNodeValue = default_value
    Else
        GetNodeValue = value_node.Text
    End If
End Function

' Load saved values from XML.
Private Sub LoadValues()
Dim xml_document As DOMDocument
Dim values_node As IXMLDOMNode

    ' Load the document.
    Set xml_document = New DOMDocument
    xml_document.Load m_AppPath & "test 2.xml"

    ' If the file doesn't exist, then
    ' xml_document.documentElement is Nothing.
    If xml_document.documentElement Is Nothing Then
        ' The file doesn't exist. Do nothing.
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' Find the Values section.
    Set values_node = xml_document.selectSingleNode("DynaMark-Project")

    ' Read the saved values.
    txtBarcode.Text = GetNodeValue(values_node, "Text", "???")
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    ' Get the application's startup path.
    m_AppPath = App.Path
    If Right$(m_AppPath, 1) <> "\" Then m_AppPath = m_AppPath & "\"

    ' Load the values.
    LoadValues
End Sub

---

My XML experience is non-existent basically, so any help would be very grateful. As you can see from the code I can extract the data into a text box, but if i change what is in the text box, I want to then alter the value in a similar XML file.

Can anyone help?

This line loads a selected node into a node object.

Code:

---

Set values_node = xml_document.selectSingleNode("DynaMark-Project")

---

Once you have a node loaded you can read and set it's text value by using the text property of the node.
To read

Code:

---

MsgBox values_node.Text

---

To change

Code:

---

values_node.Text = "NewValue"

---

Now to save as a new document, you use the save method of the document object.

Code:

---

xml_document.Save "NewPath"

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I have attached a similar XML file called shot1.xml
I am trying to take the data in the node "text", in this case it should be "617458" and insert it into a textbox called txtBarcode.text.

If I change what is in the text box and click a command button do I put in the command button click event what you have outlined.

I tried:

Code:

---

values_node.text = "Newvalue"
xml_document.save = "Newpath"

---

but it didn't save it in the same format as the original shot1.XML, it just saved the node and value.

Here is a real quick example. It uses 2 command buttons (cmdLoad and cmdSave) and one textbox (default name) and assumes the file is at "c:\shot1.xml"

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Dim objDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim objNode As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode

Private Sub cmdLoad_Click()
    Set objDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    objDoc.async = False
    objDoc.Load "c:\shot1.xml"

    Set objNode = objDoc.selectSingleNode("//Text")
    Text1.Text = objNode.Text
End Sub

Private Sub cmdSave_Click()
    objNode.Text = Text1.Text
    objDoc.save "c:\shot2.xml"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
    If Not objNode Is Nothing Then
        Set objNode = Nothing
    End If
   
    If Not objDoc Is Nothing Then
        Set objDoc = Nothing
    End If
End Sub

---

That is Great. Thanks so much.

One more small query about the XML document. I am retrieving info from the Text node, if I try and retrieve info from the Offset node it returns a blank. Why is this? Is it because it is not in <Offset>""<Offset> format?

It is because the Offset node does not have any values. It has attributes. What you need to do is load the Offset node and the query it's attributes

Code:

---

Private Sub cmdLoad_Click()
Dim objDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim objNode As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim objAttrib As MSXML2.IXMLDOMAttribute

    Set objDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    objDoc.async = False
    objDoc.Load "c:\shot1.xml"

    Set objNode = objDoc.selectSingleNode("//Offset")
    Set objAttrib = objNode.Attributes.getNamedItem("value")
   
    Text1.Text = objAttrib.Text
End Sub

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Thankyou very much MarkT. You have really helped me today.

Back again. I have a continuing problem with XML Editing.

In the previous attached XML file I was looking to Extract the Text Node data into a text box, then if the text box was changed the Text Node will also change.

With help from MarkT I have been able to get this working for the previous attached file, however with this attached file it won't work.

As can be seen it is a Duplicated XML document, therefore there is Two instances of Text Nodes. My current Code, (See below), will only change the first Text Node, not the second. How can I get this to happen.

Code:

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Dim objDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim objNode As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim objAttrib As MSXML2.IXMLDOMAttribute

Private Sub cmdLoad_Click()

    Set objDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    objDoc.async = False
    objDoc.Load "C:\shottwo.xml"
   
    Set objNode = objDoc.selectSingleNode("//Text")
        Text1.Text = objNode.Text
End Sub

Private Sub cmdSave_Click()
    objNode.Text = Text1.Text
    objDoc.save "C:\shotthree.xml"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
    If Not objNode Is Nothing Then
        Set objNode = Nothing
    End If
   
    If Not objDoc Is Nothing Then
        Set objDoc = Nothing
    End If
End Sub

---

Are you looking to set all the text nodes to the same value?

Yes, thanks.

instead of selecting a single node you need to return a nodelist and then loop through the nodelist and set the text property of the nodes

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Dim objDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Dim objNode As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNode
Dim objAttrib As MSXML2.IXMLDOMAttribute
Dim objNodeList As MSXML2.IXMLDOMNodeList

Private Sub cmdLoad_Click()

    Set objDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    objDoc.async = False
    objDoc.Load "C:\shottwo.xml"
   
    'Return all the text nodes as a nodelist
    Set objNodeList = objDoc.selectNodes("//Text")
    'Set objNode = objDoc.selectSingleNode("//Text")
    'Text1.Text = objNode.Text
    Text1.Text = objNodeList.Item(0).Text
End Sub

Private Sub cmdSave_Click()
    For Each objNode In objNodeList
        objNode.Text = Text1.Text
    Next objNode
   
    objDoc.save "C:\shotthree.xml"
End Sub

Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
    If Not objNode Is Nothing Then
        Set objNode = Nothing
    End If
   
    If Not objNodeList Is Nothing Then
        Set objNodeList = Nothing
    End If
   
    If Not objDoc Is Nothing Then
        Set objDoc = Nothing
    End If
End Sub

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Thanks, does the same apply to Attributes?

Yes. You would have to create your nodelist and then loop through the nodelist. For each node you would then have to select the attribute and then set it's text property.

Super job MarkT. I think i'm slowly understanding this stuff.:thumb: