LINQ to XML in SILVERLIGHT 3.0

Objective

This article will explain how to use LINQ to XML to read data from a XML file and bind that to SILVERLIGHT 3.0 Data Grid. XML file will be read in a WCF service and WCF service will return a List to be bind in a Grid.

Step 1

Create a SILVERLIGHT application. Select hosting in WEB Application project option.

Step 2: Add XML file in Web project.

If you have any existing XML file add that by selecting Add Existing Item option by right clicking on WEB (SilverLightApplication1.Web) project else select add new item option and select XML file from DATA tab. Copy paste the below XML file in your newly created XML file. Give any name of your choice to XML file. Name I am giving is Books.Xml.

Your XML file in Web Application project must look like.

Books.XML

<?xml
version=“1.0“?>
<catalog>

<author>Gambardella, Matthew</author>

<title>XML Developer’s Guide</title>

<genre>Computer</genre>

<publish_date>2000-10-01</publish_date>

An in-depth look at creating applications

with XML.

</description>

</book>

<author>Ralls, Kim</author>

<title>Midnight Rain</title>

<genre>Fantasy</genre>

<publish_date>2000-12-16</publish_date>

A former architect battles corporate zombies,

an evil sorceress, and her own childhood to become queen

of the world.

</description>

</book>

<author>Corets, Eva</author>

<title>Maeve Ascendant</title>

<genre>Fantasy</genre>

<publish_date>2000-11-17</publish_date>

After the collapse of a nanotechnology

society in England, the young survivors lay the

foundation for a new society.

</description>

</book>

<author>Corets, Eva</author>

<title>Oberon’s Legacy</title>

<genre>Fantasy</genre>

<publish_date>2001-03-10</publish_date>

In post-apocalypse England, the mysterious

agent known only as Oberon helps to create a new life

for the inhabitants of London. Sequel to Maeve

Ascendant.

</description>

</book>

<author>Corets, Eva</author>

<title>The Sundered Grail</title>

<genre>Fantasy</genre>

<publish_date>2001-09-10</publish_date>

The two daughters of Maeve, half-sisters,

battle one another for control of England. Sequel to

Oberon’s Legacy.

</description>

</book>

<author>Randall, Cynthia</author>

<title>Lover Birds</title>

<genre>Romance</genre>

<publish_date>2000-09-02</publish_date>

When Carla meets Paul at an ornithology

conference, tempers fly as feathers get ruffled.

</description>

</book>

<author>Thurman, Paula</author>

<title>Splish Splash</title>

<genre>Romance</genre>

<publish_date>2000-11-02</publish_date>

A deep sea diver finds true love twenty

thousand leagues beneath the sea.

</description>

</book>

<author>Knorr, Stefan</author>

<title>Creepy Crawlies</title>

<genre>Horror</genre>

<publish_date>2000-12-06</publish_date>

An anthology of horror stories about roaches,

centipedes, scorpions and other insects.

</description>

</book>

<author>Kress, Peter</author>

<title>Paradox Lost</title>

<genre>Science Fiction</genre>

<publish_date>2000-11-02</publish_date>

After an inadvertant trip through a Heisenberg

Uncertainty Device, James Salway discovers the problems

of being quantum.

</description>

</book>

<author>O’Brien, Tim</author>

<title>Microsoft .NET: The Programming Bible</title>

<genre>Computer</genre>

<publish_date>2000-12-09</publish_date>

Microsoft’s .NET initiative is explored in

detail in this deep programmer’s reference.

</description>

</book>

<author>O’Brien, Tim</author>

<title>MSXML3: A Comprehensive Guide</title>

<genre>Computer</genre>

<publish_date>2000-12-01</publish_date>

The Microsoft MSXML3 parser is covered in

detail, with attention to XML DOM interfaces, XSLT processing,

SAX and more.

</description>

</book>

<author>Galos, Mike</author>

<title>Visual Studio 7: A Comprehensive Guide</title>

<genre>Computer</genre>

<publish_date>2001-04-16</publish_date>

Microsoft Visual Studio 7 is explored in depth,

looking at how Visual Basic, Visual C++, C#, and ASP+ are

integrated into a comprehensive development

environment.

</description>

</book>

</catalog>

Step 2: Creating WCF service

Right click on Web Project and add WCF service from Web tab. Give any name of your choice, I am giving name here MyService.

Creating Data Contract
This class will get serialized at client side.

Creating Service Contract

IMyService.cs

namespace SilverlightApplication1.Web{
[ServiceContract]

public interface IMyService

{

[OperationContract]

List<BooksDTO> GetBookDetails();

}
}

Creating Service Implementation

MyService.svc.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Runtime.Serialization;

using System.ServiceModel;

using System.Text;

using System.Web;

using System.Xml.Linq;

namespace SilverlightApplication1.Web{
public class MyService : IMyService
{
public List<BooksDTO> GetBookDetails()
{

XDocument xmlDocument = XDocument.Load(@”c:\\Books.XML”);
var books = from r in xmlDocument.Descendants(“book”)
select new BooksDTO
{
Author = r.Element(“author”).Value,

Title = r.Element(“title”).Value,Genere = r.Element(“genre”).Value,

Price = r.Element(“price”).Value,

PublishDate = r.Element(“publish_date”).Value,

Description = r.Element(“description”).Value,

};
return books.ToList();

}

Few points

Using namespace System,.XML.Linq to use LINQ to XML features.
Load method of XDocument class is being used to load XML document.
Searching for all the descendents in XML document for the element Book. And retrieving all the child elements value.
Service is returning List of BooksDTO class.

Compile the web project and after successfully compilation right click on service and view in browser.

Step 3: Consuming in SILVERLIGHT client

Add Service Reference.
While adding service reference, select advanced tab and change return type from Array to List.
Add Data Grid on XAML. Give any name. I am giving name here MyGrid.
On page load simply bind the result returning from service to Data Grid.
Make sure your startup project is SilverLightApplication1.Web and startup page is SilverLightApplicatio1Testpage.aspx . Else you might yield with Cross domain problem.

MainPage.Xaml

<UserControl xmlns:my=”clr-namespace:System.Windows.Controls;assembly=System.Windows.Controls.Data”
x:Class=”SilverlightApplication1.MainPage”

xmlns=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation”

xmlns:x=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml”

xmlns:d=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008″

xmlns:mc=”http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006″

mc:Ignorable=”d”

d:DesignHeight=”300″ d:DesignWidth=”400″>

<my:DataGrid x:Name=”myGrid” AutoGenerateColumns=”True” Background=”Azure” ></my:DataGrid>

</Grid>

</UserControl>

MainPage.Xaml.CS

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Net;

using System.Windows;

using System.Windows.Controls;

using System.Windows.Documents;

using System.Windows.Input;

using System.Windows.Media;

using System.Windows.Media.Animation;

using System.Windows.Shapes;

using SilverlightApplication1.ServiceReference1;

namespace SilverlightApplication1

{

public artial class MainPage : UserControl

{

public MainPage()

{

InitializeComponent();

MyServiceClient proxy = new MyServiceClient();

proxy.GetBookDetailsCompleted += new EventHandler<GetBookDetailsCompletedEventArgs>(proxy_GetBookDetailsCompleted);

proxy.GetBookDetailsAsync();}

void proxy_GetBookDetailsCompleted(object sender, GetBookDetailsCompletedEventArgs e)
{
myGrid.ItemsSource = e.Result;
}}}

Output

Conclusion
I have explained how to return data from XML file using LINQ to XML and bind to SILVERLIGHT data grid. In next article I will show other CRUD operations. Thanks for reading.

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3 responses to “LINQ to XML in SILVERLIGHT 3.0”

suresh

April 15, 2011 at 11:44 am

superb explain about linq to xml concept with silverlight and wcf
Anonymous

July 13, 2011 at 5:30 pm

what is “BooksDTO”, it shows error. can you explain please.
Monthly Report February 2010: Total Posts 12 « debug mode……

October 6, 2011 at 12:18 pm

[…] LINQ to XML in SILVERLIGHT 3.0 […]

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Dhananjay Kumar