Duplicate items when adding an XElement to an XDocument

Question

I am writing a C # program that will go through a bunch of config.xml files and update some elements or add them if they do not exist. I have a part that updates an element if it exists with this code:

XDocument xdoc = XDocument.Parse(ReadFile(_file));
XElement element = xdoc.Elements("project").Elements("logRotator")
                        .Elements("daysToKeep").Single();
element.Value = _DoRevert;

But I am having problems when I want to add an item that does not exist. In most cases, part of the tree is in place, and when I use my code, it adds another identical tree, and this makes the program read xml explode.

this is how i try to do it

xdoc.Element("project").Add(new XElement("logRotator", new XElement("daysToKeep", _day)));

and this leads to such a structure (this numToKeep tag already exists):

<project>
  <logRotator>
    <daysToKeep>10</daysToKeep>
  </logRotator>
  <logRotator>
    <numToKeep>13</numToKeep>
  </logRotator>
</project>

but that is what i want

<project>
  <logRotator>
    <daysToKeep>10</daysToKeep>
    <numToKeep>13</numToKeep>
  </logRotator>
</project>

Answer 1

kickstart , . ,

/// <summary>
/// adds an element to an xml tree and builds the tree up if it is needed
/// </summary>
/// <param name="outerParent">root node</param>
/// <param name="innerPath">root/childOne/innerParent/name</param>
/// <param name="name">element to add</param>
/// <param name="value">elements value</param>
static XElement BuildTree(XElement outerParent, string innerParentPath, string name, object value)
{
    List<string> s = innerParentPath.Split('/').ToList(); 
    string str = "";
    XElement prevInner = null;
    if (s.Count != 2)//use 2 since we know the root will always be there
    {
        var t = new List<string>(s);
        t.RemoveRange(s.Count - 1, 1);//remove last element
        string[] sa = t.ToArray();
        str = string.Join("/", sa);
        prevInner = BuildTree(outerParent, str, name, value);//call recursively till we get to root;
    }
    else
    {
        prevInner = outerParent;
    }
    XElement inner = prevInner.Element(s[s.Count - 1]);
    if (inner == null)
    {
        if (s[s.Count - 1] == name)//add actual element if we're at top lvl.
        {
            prevInner.Add(new XElement(name, value));
        }
        else
        {
            inner = new XElement(s[s.Count - 1]);
            prevInner.Add(inner);
        }
    }
    return inner;
}

Answer 2

logRotator , , .

// project is XElement
XElement logRotator = project.Element("logRotator");

if (logRotator == null)
{
    logRotator = new XElement("logRotator");
    project.Add(logRotator);
}

logRotator.Add(new XElement("daysToKeep", someValue));

( , ), .

static void AddToElement(XElement outerParent, string innerParent, string name, object value)
{
    XElement inner = outerParent.Element(innerParent);
    if (inner == null)
    {
        inner = new XElement(innerParent);
        outerParent.Add(inner);
    }

    inner.Add(new XElement(name, value));
}

string xml = @"<project> 
                    <logRotator> 
                    <numToKeep>13</numToKeep> 
                    </logRotator> 
                </project>";

XDocument document = XDocument.Parse(xml);
XElement project = document.Element("project");
AddToElement(project, "logRotator", "daysToKeep", 10);

Console.WriteLine(document.ToString());

Answer 3

numToKeep , :

xdoc.Element("project")
    .Element("logRotator")
    .Add(new XElement("daysToKeep", _day));

, , logRotator , :

xdoc.Element("project").Add(
    new XElement("logRotator", 
        new XElement("daysToKeep", _day),
        new XElement("numToKeep", _num)
));

. XElement.Add(Object[])