[XML] Reading Visual Studio Project file

[NickThissen]

Hi,


I want to read a VB or C# Visual Studio project file so I can find out which files the project uses (code source files, not images or whatever).

I simply opened a vbproj and csproj file in notepad and found that they are in XML format. A simple example follows. The red parts is what I need:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <PropertyGroup>
      <blabla... />
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
      <Reference Include="System.Data" />
      <Reference Include="System.Design" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
       <Compile Include="Classes\Errors.cs" />
       <Compile Include="Classes\HttpGet.cs" />
       <Compile Include="Classes\NativeMethods.cs" />
       <Compile Include="Classes\Playlist.cs" />
       <Compile Include="Controls\GradientLabel.cs">
          <SubType>Component</SubType>
       </Compile>
   </ItemGroup>
</Project>

If you want an exact example, just open any of your own project files in notepad and take a look.

I have used the XDocument class and LINQ previously (but in C#) to read an XML file that was very similar and had no problems, but this one just isn't working...

I tried every variation I could think of, but the code that, in my mind, should work is:

Dim xml = XDocument.Load(Me.ProjectFilePath)
                Dim files = From e As XElement In xml.Elements("Project").Single.Elements("ItemGroup") _
                            Where e.Name = "Compile" AndAlso e.HasAttributes AndAlso e.Attribute("Include") IsNot Nothing _
                            Select e.Attribute("Include").Value

However, it seems it cannot even find the Project element, because the query errors saying "Sequence contains no elements" on the 'Single' call...


I can't figure it out. Can someone help me out here? Is there maybe a problem with the file itself? It looks like XML for me but it might not be... Is any file that looks like xml an xml file? I don't think so lol...

[kareninstructor]

Hope this helps.

I tried the following in VS2008 reading a VS2010 project file

Imports <xmlns:alias="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim doc = XDocument.Load("DynamicClassXML.vbproj")

        Dim Query = (From P In doc...<alias:Project> _
                    Where P.@ToolsVersion = "4.0" _
                    Select P).FirstOrDefault


        Console.WriteLine("[{0}]", Query.ToString)
    End Sub
End Class

which returned everything. Then I tried for a smaller chunk

Imports <xmlns:alias="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim doc = XDocument.Load("DynamicClassXML.vbproj")

        Dim Query = (From P In doc...<alias:Project> _
                    Where P.@ToolsVersion = "4.0" From X In P.<alias:PropertyGroup> _
                                                  Where X.<alias:AssemblyName>.Value = "VB 10 Generic Iterator Sample" _
                    Select X).FirstOrDefault


        Console.WriteLine("[{0}]", Query.ToString)
    End Sub
End Class

[NickThissen]

Thanks, I got it to work that way... I still don't really understand what's going on. What does the Import do and why do I need the 'alias' thingy..?

Anyway, this is the code that seems to retrieve the files correctly:

Dim xml = XDocument.Load(Me.ProjectFilePath)
                Dim files = From p In xml...<alias:Project> _
                            From i In p...<alias:ItemGroup> _
                            From c In i...<alias:Compile> _
                            Where c.HasAttributes AndAlso c.Attribute("Include") IsNot Nothing _
                            Select c.@Include

Thanks!

[kareninstructor]

Thanks, I got it to work that way... I still don't really understand what's going on. What does the Import do and why do I need the 'alias' thingy..?

Anyway, this is the code that seems to retrieve the files correctly:

Dim xml = XDocument.Load(Me.ProjectFilePath)
                Dim files = From p In xml...<alias:Project> _
                            From i In p...<alias:ItemGroup> _
                            From c In i...<alias:Compile> _
                            Where c.HasAttributes AndAlso c.Attribute("Include") IsNot Nothing _
                            Select c.@Include

Thanks!

Using the import provides IntelliSense when working the LINQ statement. I found this out when trying out some code from Bill McCarthy on his Snippet editor several years ago.

[.paul.]

LINQ to XML doesn't work (except how kevin showed you) when the root element contains an xml namespace