XML as INI

XML as INI

• NeoNmaN

  Hi,

  If it is application configuration settings that you want to store then take a look at the following articles:

  http://odetocode.com/Articles/418.aspx

  http://www.devx.com/dotnet/Article/27562

  Regards,

  Vikram

   

   

  
  
  

• Dotty

  Give this a try.  It should work in the latest version of VB2005EE

  Create a new Form1

  Put this code above the Public Class Form1 secition (very top of the form, above everything)

  Imports System.Data

  Imports System.Xml

  Imports System.Xml.XmlDataDocument

   

  Put these global variables just below the Public Class Form1

  Dim ds As New DataSet(), dr As DataRow, dt As DataTable

   

   

  Now put this within the Form_Load event:

  'Create a new table called MySettings and add two different columns

  dt = New DataTable("MySettings")

  dt.Columns.Add("MyFirstColumn", GetType(String))

  dt.Columns.Add("MySecondColumn", GetType(String))

  'add the columns to the dataset

  ds.Tables.Add(dt)

   

  'Populate some data in the columns

  dr = dt.NewRow()

  dr!MyFirstColumn = "Setting1"

  dr!MySecondColumn="Setting2"

  dt.Rows.Add(dr)

   

  'to save the struture (schema) of this dataset issue following command:

  ds.WriteXmlSchema("MySchema.xml")

  'save the actual data in this dataset.

  ds.WriteXml("MyData.xml")

   

  I will add another post on how to read.

  
  

• Gabriela70026

  In the previous example, bring Form1 up in designer and put two textboxes and a button.

  In the code window, just below the Public Class, add:

  Dim schemafilepath As String = "MySchema.xml"

  Dim datafilepath As String = "MyData.xml"

  Dim TotalRows As Integer, CurrentRow as Integer

   

  Locate the Button1 Click Event and put the following:

  Try

       'get the structure file

       ds.ReadXmlSchema(schemafilepath)

       'get the data file

       ds.ReadXml(datafilepath)

  Catch er As Exception    'if a problem opening file

      Throw (er)

  Finally

       dt = ds.Tables!MySettings

  End Try

   

  TotalRows = dt.Rows.Count

  currentRow = 0

   

  txtbox1.Text = dt.rows(currentrow).Item(0)

  txtbox2.Text = dt.rows(currentrow).Item(1)

   

   

  
  

• Sergey Ponomarev

  Thanks for the answers!

  Using XML and a Dataset seems to be be solution I am looking for. It's very structured and flexible, I think.

  One good thing with XML compared to the old INI method is that XML offers 3 dimensions to store data: Tables, columns and rows. This is perfect if you want to be able to load different definition-settings into your application.

  If you for an example store report definition-settings in a XML file you can create one table for Datasource properties, one table for field properties and a third table for report parameters properties. In the parameters table you then define as many columns for the parameter properties you need (ParamName, Description, DefaultValue). And then you add one row for every parameter the actual report include. This is actually how Reporting Services stores its definition.

   

  Thanks!

  
  
  
• XML as INI