C# XML reader doesn't get the value from child nodes

Question

I have an xml file with child nodes that I want to read. When I deserialize the object I won't get the value from the child nodes, its always 0.

Xmlfile example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Pieces Rapport="0" Employee="">
  <Piece Roll="1" Piece="1" Amount="1" Length="1.00" />
  <Piece Roll="1" Piece="1" Amount="1" Length="2.00" />
  <Piece Roll="1" Piece="1" Amount="1" Length="3.00" />
  <Piece Roll="1" Piece="1" Amount="1" Length="0" />
  <Piece Roll="1" Piece="1" Amount="1" Length="0" />
</Pieces>

I marked my classes with the [XmlElement] tag as stated here: How to deserialize xml to object

classes:

  [XmlRoot("Pieces")]
public class StukLijst
{
    [XmlElement("Rapport")]
    public string rapport { get; set; }
    [XmlElement("Employee")]
    public string employee { get; set; }
    [XmlElement("Piece")]
    public List<StukRow> stukLijst { get; set; }
}

 public class StukRow
{
    [XmlElement("Roll")]
    public int rol { get; set; }
    [XmlElement("Piece")]
    public int stuk { get; set; }
    [XmlElement("Amount")]
    public int banen { get; set; }
    [XmlElement("Length")]
    public double lengte { get; set; }
}

read the xml file:

private void LoadXml(string pickListNumber, string lineNumber)
    {
        string path = filePath + pickListNumber + "_" + lineNumber + ".xml";
        StreamReader xmlStream = new StreamReader(path);
        XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(StukLijst));
        StukLijst result = (StukLijst)serializer.Deserialize(xmlStream);
    }

and the result is the following:

So why is Employee null while the childnodes are all 0? It seems like it can find the childs but doesn't get the data from them. Any solutions?

Arent you mixing elements and attributes? A new XML node is an element, but `Rapport` and `Employee` are not new XML nodes, but attributes of the existing `Pieces` node/element — Cleptus, Mar 15 '21 at 08:53

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 15 '21 at 08:49

You've used [XmlElement] in each of your properties in StukRow, but the data isn't in XML elements - it's in XML attributes. Try this instead:

public class StukRow
{
    [XmlAttribute("Roll")]
    public int rol { get; set; }
    [XmlAttribute("Piece")]
    public int stuk { get; set; }
    [XmlAttribute("Amount")]
    public int banen { get; set; }
    [XmlAttribute("Length")]
    public double lengte { get; set; }
}

Likewise your rapport and employee properties in StukLijst should be decorated with [XmlAttribute] as the data is in stored in XML attributes, not child elements.

As a side-note, I'd strongly encourage you to start following .NET naming conventions for your properties, using PascalCased names (e.g. Rol, Stuk etc.)

Correct. I should have used XmlAttribute. – Proliges Mar 15 '21 at 09:00 — Proliges, Mar 15 '21 at 09:00

C# XML reader doesn't get the value from child nodes

1 Answers1