Reading and processing an XML file

Question

I have an xml file. Its format is as follows:

ControlType > Content > LocationX > LocationY > ForeColor/LinkColor > Int > Int > Int > Int 

Example file:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <cs> <Label Content="Double-click to edit." LocationX="583" LocationY="254" A="255" R="255" G="255" B="255" /> <LinkLabel Content="Double-click to edit." LocationX="613" LocationY="251" A="255" R="0" G="0" B="0" /> </cs> 

Background: An xml file is created and saved to disk. When a user uploads an Xml document to my application, my application will read the Xml file. And control foreach in the document, it will receive its properties, for example:

 foreach(Control control in XmlFile) { // get control type // get control content // get LocationX // get LocationY // get Color // get Int // get Int // get Int // get Int // Do something with retrieved data. } 

Here is what I already have:

 OpenFileDialog o = new OpenFileDialog(); o.Filter = "T Multimedia Format (*.mf)|*.mf|" + "Word Document (*.docx)|*.docx|" + "PDF Document (*.pdf)|*.pdf|" + "Text FIle (*.txt)|*.txt"; o.Title = "T 11 - Open Document"; using (o) { if (o.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) { XDocument xdc = XDocument.Load(o.FileName); var cs = xdc.Elements("cs"); foreach (var im in cs) { if (im.Name == "Label") { Label label = new Label(); label.MouseClick += new MouseEventHandler(label_MouseClick); label.MouseDown += new MouseEventHandler(label_MouseDown); label.MouseMove += new MouseEventHandler(label_MouseMove); label.MouseUp += new MouseEventHandler(label_MouseUp); label.MouseDoubleClick += new MouseEventHandler(label_MouseDoubleClick); label.Text = im.Attribute("Content").Value; label.Location = new Point( Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("LocationX").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("LocationY").Value)); label.BackColor = Color.Transparent; label.ForeColor = Color.FromArgb( Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("A").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("R").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("G").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("B").Value)); label.AutoSize = true; Canvas.Controls.Add(label); label.BringToFront(); } else if (im.Name == "LinkLabel") { LinkLabel link = new LinkLabel(); link.MouseClick += new MouseEventHandler(link_MouseClick); link.MouseDown += new MouseEventHandler(link_MouseDown); link.MouseMove += new MouseEventHandler(link_MouseMove); link.MouseUp += new MouseEventHandler(link_MouseUp); link.MouseDoubleClick += new MouseEventHandler(link_MouseDoubleClick); link.Text = im.Attribute("Content").Value; link.Location = new Point( Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("LocationX").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("LocationY").Value)); link.BackColor = Color.Transparent; link.LinkColor = Color.FromArgb( Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("A").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("R").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("G").Value), Convert.ToInt32(im.Attribute("B").Value)); link.AutoSize = true; Canvas.Controls.Add(link); link.BringToFront(); } } } } 

... The code above generates zero errors. But that just doesn't work. The controls do not appear on the form. Does anyone know why the above code will not work, and how can I make it work?

All help is appreciated, thanks

Bael

Answer 1

I would suggest you a slightly more general way:

 private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { foreach (var controlTag in XDocument.Load("settings.xml").Root.Elements()) { var controlType = Type.GetType(string.Format("System.Windows.Forms.{0}, System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089", controlTag.Name.LocalName), false); if (controlType == null || !typeof(Control).IsAssignableFrom(controlType)) { continue; } var control = (Control)Activator.CreateInstance(controlType); control.Text = controlTag.Attribute("Content").Value; control.Location = new Point( int.Parse(controlTag.Attribute("LocationX").Value), int.Parse(controlTag.Attribute("LocationY").Value) ); control.BackColor = Color.Transparent; control.MouseClick += mouseClick; control.MouseDown += mouseDown; control.MouseMove += mouseMove; control.MouseUp += mouseUp; control.MouseDoubleClick += mouseDoubleClick; Controls.Add(control); } } 

As for color, you can add an attribute to the xml file that points to the name of the property of the control that we want to set and use reflection. For instance:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <cs> <Label Content="Double-click to edit." LocationX="583" LocationY="254" A="255" R="255" G="255" B="255" ColorProperty="ForeColor" /> <LinkLabel Content="Double-click to edit." LocationX="613" LocationY="251" A="255" R="0" G="0" B="0" ColorProperty="LinkColor" /> </cs> 

By the way, XAML already provides most of the features you are trying to achieve here. Of course, it assumes a WPF interface, which may not be yours.