Saving XML???

[Cenobite]

Hi guys,
I'm new to this XML stuff and something is really bugging me...
If I save my XML using the MS implementation of the DOM and then open the resulting file in notepad, the XML is all written on one line .... ie unformatted! Is there anyway to format it to make it more readable? I notice that if you read in a formatted file and then write it back out it gets written in a formatted form.

Any ideas???

Cheers

[MartinLiss]

I have never found a totally satisfactory solution, and I have asked the same question on this and other forums. In one respect it doesn't matter because if you open the file using a browser or XML Spy, it will appear properly formatted, but I know it's nice to be able to look at it in Word, Notepad, etc.

I wrote the following routine that at least breaks up the lines. What I am posting here is a version with some non-applicable code removed and I haven't tested it, so if it doesn't work please let me know. Also I would be very interested in any better solution.

Private Declare Function GetTempPath Lib "kernel32" _
         Alias "GetTempPathA" (ByVal nBufferLength As Long, _
         ByVal lpBuffer As String) As Long
 
Private Declare Function GetTempFileName Lib "kernel32" _
         Alias "GetTempFileNameA" (ByVal lpszPath As String, _
         ByVal lpPrefixString As String, ByVal wUnique As Long, _
         ByVal lpTempFileName As String) As Long
 
Public Sub PrettyPrint()
'***************************************************************************
'Purpose: When nodes are added, they wind up on the same line. This does not
'         affect how they are read by xml readers, but it does make them
'         difficult to read in Word, etc. While this routine does not correct
'         indenting, it does at least break up the run-on lines.
'Inputs:  The newly-modified xml file
'Outputs: The newly-modified xml file reformatted
'***************************************************************************
 
    Dim intInFile As Integer
    Dim intOutFile As Integer
    Dim strLine As String
    Dim strOutputLine As String
    Dim strTempFile As String
    Dim bDone As Boolean
    Dim intPos As Integer
    
    On Error GoTo ErrorRoutine
    
    strTempFile = CreateTempFile("xml")
    
    intInFile = FreeFile
    Open My_XML_File For Input As intInFile
    
    intOutFile = FreeFile
    
    Open strTempFile For Output As intOutFile
    
    While Not EOF(intInFile)
        Line Input #intInFile, strLine
        bDone = False
        Do Until bDone
            intPos = InStr(1, strLine, "><")
            If intPos = 0 Then
                bDone = True
                Print #intOutFile, strLine
            Else
                strOutputLine = Left$(strLine, intPos)
                Print #intOutFile, strOutputLine
                strLine = Right$(strLine, Len(strLine) - intPos)
            End If
        Loop
    Wend
 
    Close intInFile
    Close intOutFile
 
    FileCopy strTempFile, My_XML_File 
    
    Kill strTempFile
    
    Exit Sub
 
ErrorRoutine:
 
    ' Your error-routine here
 
End Sub
 
Public Function CreateTempFile(strPrefix As String) As String
'***************************************************************************
'Purpose: Create a unique temporary file name
'Inputs:  strPrefix - The prefix to be used as the first part of the temp
'         file name. Note: only the first 3 characters get used.
'Outputs: The temp file name
'***************************************************************************
 
    Dim strTmpPath As String * 512
    Dim strTmpName As String * 576
    Dim intRet As Long
    
    intRet = GetTempPath(512, strTmpPath)
    If (intRet > 0 And intRet < 512) Then
       intRet = GetTempFileName(strTmpPath, strPrefix, 0, strTmpName)
       If intRet <> 0 Then
          CreateTempFile = Left$(strTmpName, _
             InStr(strTmpName, vbNullChar) - 1)
       End If
    End If
 
End Function

[Cenobite]

Thanks for that. It seems rediculous that the object model doesn't allow for this though.....does anyone know of a simpler way???

[MartinLiss]

I just had a thought. The first time you split a line using my code, you could do this

strOutputLine = Space(4) & Left$(strLine, intPos)

then if you could keep track somehow of how many indents you had previously made you could do something like

strOutputLine = Space(8) & Left$(strLine, intPos)