How to properly convert a datatable into an XML file

[Belcebu]

Hello,

I am trying to convert an existing datatable into an XML file. The datatable has many fields including the two most important ones:

parent_guid
current_guid

I want to create the XML out of this datatable with the relationship of these two columns. A simple WriteXml method does not solve my problem because I it does not relate these two columns.

I am trying to create a dataset and add relations to it, however, I have been unable to make it work since it is looking for two tables to create the relationship. Thus I tried just copying the same table and providing that but it does not work. This seems like a simple thing to do, and so I was looking for maybe a quick example of how to accomplish this.

I was actually trying something along these lines:

Public Shared Sub convertDTtoXML(ByVal dt As Data.DataTable)

Dim ds As New Data.DataSet
Dim dt1 As Data.DataTable = New Data.DataTable


dt1 = dt.Copy()
ds.Tables.Add(dt)
ds.Tables.Add(dt1)


ds.Relations.Add("parent_guid", _
New Data.DataColumn() {dt.Columns(1)}, _
New Data.DataColumn() {dt1.Columns(2)}, True)


dt.WriteXml(location)


Any help is appreciated!!!

Thank You!!

 

[Qik3Coder]

Your heirarchy seems backwards to me, because you have to start at the bottom, instead of the top, which is opposite of XML.


The following is psuedo code:

Assuming your structure you will need a recursive loop that acts sorta like this:

Public Function XMLChunk(curGuid as Guid, dt as Datatable) as XMLNode
Dim rtnNode as XMLNode
For each oRow as DataRow in dt.Rows
if oRow.Parent_Guid = curGuid then
'we have a child node
Dim oNode as XMLNode = XMLChunk(oRow.Current_GUID)
if not oNode is nothing
rtnNode.AddNode(oNode)
end if
end if
Next
if rtnNode.Nodes.Count > 0 then
'add current node data
rtnNode.Text = "some values here"
end if
return rtnNode
end Function





-Sometimes the answer to your question is the hack that works

 

[Belcebu]

Qik3Coder thanks for the help. I was hoping that instead of having to create the xml file node by node that there was a way to leverage the writexml method by somehow relating the perent_guids to the guids.

If that is not possible then I will have to make a recursive method like yours (which I'm already kind of working on).