ASP.NET / XML problem (Writing to an XML file)

[dotNetDave]

I'm not sure where I should be posting this, if it's more of an ASP problem or an XML problem, so I apologize if it's in the wrong location.

I'm brand new to using XML and ASP (.NET or otherwise) (in fact this is my first project), so bear with me, I may need a little hand-holding.

I'm trying to create a page which simply adds data to an existing xml file. Ultimately it will add the data from a form, but to keep things simple, I've been simply using pre-defined values.

Originally I was able to get the script to write the xml exactly as I needed, however it would simply overwrite the existing file every time it was accessed. This is unacceptable, as it will be used to add data to one file, sort of like a mini database. So after much pain and gnashing of teeth I managed to get the script to append the data to an existing file. However, it wrote the xml wrong! ...I still cannot get it to format the xml properly, and am at my wits end as to how I should fix it.

If anyone could help me with this, I would be very appreciative!

Thanks!


This is how I want my xml to look:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<leads>

  <lead>

    <name>mac</name>

    <phone>555-123-4567</phone>

    <email>[email protected]</email>

    <besttimetocall>3pm</besttimetocall>

    <wheretravel>iceland</wheretravel>

    <ticketsneeded>4</ticketsneeded>

    <numbertimestravel>3</numbertimestravel>

  </lead>

  <lead>

    <name>mr jones</name>

    <phone>555-555-5555</phone>

    <email>[email protected]</email>

    <besttimetocall>10am</besttimetocall>

    <wheretravel>bermuda</wheretravel>

    <ticketsneeded>2</ticketsneeded>

    <numbertimestravel>1</numbertimestravel>

  </lead>

</leads>

Unfortunately, when I write to the file with my xmlwriter program, it ends up looking like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<leads>

  <lead />

    <name>moo</name>

    <phone>324982</phone>

    <email>[email protected]</email>

    <besttimetocall>never</besttimetocall>

    <wheretravel>test</wheretravel>

    <ticketsneeded>test</ticketsneeded>

    <numbertimestravel>test</numbertimestravel>

  <lead />

  <name>bubba</name>

  <phone>555-555-5555</phone>

  <email>[email protected]</email>

  <besttimetocall>3pm</besttimetocall>

  <wheretravel>bermuda!</wheretravel>

  <ticketsneeded>2</ticketsneeded>

  <numbertimestravel>1</numbertimestravel>

  <lead />

  <name>bubba</name>

  <phone>555-555-5555</phone>

  <email>[email protected]</email>

  <besttimetocall>3pm</besttimetocall>

  <wheretravel>bermuda!</wheretravel>

  <ticketsneeded>2</ticketsneeded>

  <numbertimestravel>1</numbertimestravel>

</leads>

If you'll notice, the tags are not falling into the <lead> </lead> tags like I want them to. Below follows the script that writes the data:

<%@ Page Language="VB" debug="true" %>

<%@ Import Namespace="System.Xml" %>

<script runat=server>

    sub Page_Load(obj as object, e as eventargs)

          dim xmldoc as new XMLDocument()

        dim strOutput as string = ""

        try

            xmldoc.Load(Server.MapPath("leads2.xml"))

                dim eleLead as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("lead")

                

                dim eleName as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("name")

                    dim eleNameText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("bubba")

                

                dim elePhone as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("phone")

                    dim elePhoneText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("555-555-5555")

                

                dim eleEmail as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("email")

                    dim eleEmailText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("[email protected]")

                

                dim eleBestTimeToCall as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("besttimetocall")

                    dim eleBestTimeToCallText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("3pm")

                

                dim eleWhereTravel as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("wheretravel")

                    dim eleWhereTravelText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("bermuda!")

                    

                dim eleTicketsNeeded as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("ticketsneeded")

                    dim eleTicketsNeededText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("2")

                    

                dim eleNumberTimesTravel as XmlElement = xmldoc.CreateElement ("numbertimestravel")

                    dim eleNumberTimesTravelText as XmlText = xmldoc.CreateTextNode("1")

                

                

                

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleLead)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleName)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleNameText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(elePhone)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(elePhoneText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleEmail)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleEmailText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleBestTimeToCall)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleBestTimeToCallText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleWhereTravel)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleWhereTravelText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleTicketsNeeded)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleTicketsNeededText)

                xmldoc.DocumentElement.AppendChild(eleNumberTimesTravel)

                    xmldoc.DocumentElement.LastChild.AppendChild(eleNumberTimesTravelText)



                xmldoc.Save(Server.MapPath("leads2.xml"))

                

            catch ex as Exception

                strOutput = "Error accessing XML file"

                

            end try



            output.Text = "Append operation successful"

End Sub



</script>



<html><body>

    <asp:Label id="output" runat="server" />

</body>

</html> 

Any idea how I get the information to properly fall inside the <lead> </lead> tags?



Thanks!