How I can create an xml file that contains records using c#. I need to read a text file that has lots of data; however the very first row of the text file is the name of the different columns.

As an example:
DeptNo DeptName CourseNo CourseName CreditAll Semester

I need to retrieve this rows and then check condition using XSLT.

My aim is to take the above mentioned individual column and then using XSLT condition create a file so the final document will look something like this
__________________________________________________ ____________________

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:transform version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt" xmlns:myObj="urn:myObj">

<xsl:output method="xml"/>
<xsl:template match="/">
<Universities>
  <xsl:for-each select="University">

    <DeptNumber>
      <xsl:value-of select="DeptNo"/>
    </DeptNumber>

    <DeptNM>
      <xsl:value-of select="DeptName"/>
    </DeptNM>

        <CourseNumber>
      <xsl:value-of select="CourseNo"/>
    </CourseNumber>

    <CourseNM>
      <xsl:value-of select="CourseName"/>
    </CourseNM>

    <TotalCredits>
      <xsl:value-of select="CreditAll"/>
    </TotalCredits>

        <SemesterNM>
      <xsl:value-of select="Semester"/>
        </SemesterNM>
   </xsl:for-each>
</Universities>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:transform>
__________________________________________________ ____________________

The data comes as a text file where colum names are different then the database that loads the data from this text file. So the task is to create an C# program that would check the XSLT condition and final product would be the above xml file.

I know C# program but have no clue about XSLT and XML. How I can do this?
Yours help would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

Regards
Nick

You said: "The data comes as a text file ..."

Could you post a sample of this text file?

- Adam Kahtava [http://adam.kahtava.com]

Yes and here it is and thanks

DeptNo DeptName CourseNo CourseName CreditAll Semester
111CS CS CS101 ProgrammingI 3 Fall
101Politics PS PS200 Social Politics 3 Summer
111CS CS CS221 ProgrammingII 3 Fall
131Math MATH MA801 Calculas 3 Sprng

XSLT is a language for transforming XML documents into other XML documents, which means you'll have to transform your text file into an XML document before applying an XSLT.

Can you pull this data from a database or datatable? It would be easier if you could find the corresponding data in a datatable, database, or some other clearly delimited form.
Otherwise you'll have to parse the fields from this text file, and save them in XML format.

- Adam Kahtava [http://adam.kahtava.com]

Adam.
   Thanks a lot however I am not sure I am understanding you. I can't pull the data from a database, wish I could.

However I can load the data from the text file whatever way its possible and then change that file into XML.

Could you please give me some example that would be great help.

Thanks again and kind regards.

Nick

CS instructors should really be more thorough...

The first thing to know is, "How are the fields delimited?" Can you guarantee that 1) each field is of a particular length (which is what you example appears to be), or that 2) there are tabs between the fields?

In either case, begin by reading in 1 line at a time until EoF. If 1st line, then parse out column names (keep track of index). Else, parse out data and associate with each column by index.

1) Parsing by field length is easy; use the Substring() method in a loop. See: System.String.Substring()

int index = 0;
for (int x = 0; x < num_columns; x++)
{
   field[x] = input_string.Substring(index, field_length[x]);
   index += field_length[x] + 1;
}

2) Parsing by tabs is easy; just split the string on tabs. See: System.String.Split()



Brandon

Oh, i forgot to mention in 1)

field[x] = input_string.Substring(index, field_length[x]).Trim() /// get rid of spaces while parsing.

Brandon

Brandon,

Your comment "CS instructors should really be more thorough" is vague. Could you give a little more detail / explanation? Are you referring to the growing concern over the state of computer science education in the Western world?

- Adam Kahtava [http://adam.kahtava.com]

Nick,

It sounds like you have a good grasp on a solution - convert text to XML, apply XSLT to XML.

Here are a couple tutorials that may be of use:

Easy high speed reading/writing of structured binary files using C#: http://weblogs.asp.net/ralfw/archive...04/439580.aspx

Writing XML Files: Using XmlTextWriter: http://msconline.maconstate.edu/tuto.../xml09-01.aspx

XML transformation using Xslt in C#: http://www.csharpfriends.com/Article...x?articleID=63

- Adam Kahtava [http://adam.kahtava.com]