Displaying an Xml file in a Windows form application

[Holly_vi]

Is there a way to display an Xml file in a Windows form application; just like the IE browser does?

[toraj58]

            string s = File.ReadAllText("test.xml");
            textbox1.text = s;

[Arjay]

You can also put an IEBrowser control inside the form and load it via the control.

That way you'll be able to expand and collapse the nodes.

[Holly_vi]

You can also put an IEBrowser control inside the form and load it via the control.
That way you'll be able to expand and collapse the nodes.

I would like the user to be able to expand and collapse the Xml nodes, so this sounds like a good solution.
But, how can I put an IEbrowser control inside the form?

[MMH]

Use the WebBrowser Control.

Goto : Add Reference, Under COM tab, choose WebBrowser. (System.Windows.Forms)

You will find this control in the toolbox after adding it.

Now just place it on the form.

MMH.

[Holly_vi]

Thanks.
Now I have a WebBrowser object on my form.
I tried the following just to see if someting happens, but there was no result.

StreamReader stream = new StreamReader(fileName);
this.webBrowser1.DocumentStream = stream.BaseStream;

Is this the way to go?

My intention is to display the contents of a DataSet in an Xml format, before the data is actually saved to an Xml file.

[dannystommen]

string filename = "C:\\temp\example.xml";
webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(filename);

[Holly_vi]

string filename = "C:\\temp\example.xml";
webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(filename);

It works.
As I understand, using the Url property requires a file. But, is there a way to display the contents of a DataSet in an Xml format on the WebBrowser before the data is actually saved to an Xml file.

[dannystommen]

It works.
As I understand, using the Url property requires a file. But, is there a way to display the contents of a DataSet in an Xml format on the WebBrowser before the data is actually saved to an Xml file.

It does not neccesarally need a file, you could also fill in an url, try

webBrowser1.Url = new Uri("http://www.codeguru.com");

To get a dataset into Xml you should use the XmlDataDocument type instead of XmlDocument.
The next codesnippet with a normal XmlDocument works

XmlDocument xmlDoc = new XmlDocument();
xmlDoc.Load("Properties.config");
webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(xmlDoc.BaseURI);

I never worked with datasets but it should be something like the next

XmlDataDocument xmlDataDoc = new XmlDataDocument(yourDataSet);
webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(xmlDataDoc.BaseURI);

[Holly_vi]

I never worked with datasets but it should be something like the next

XmlDataDocument xmlDataDoc = new XmlDataDocument(yourDataSet);
webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(xmlDataDoc.BaseURI);

I need to display the contents of my DataSet before it is saved to file, so when I do as you suggest, xmlDataDoc.BaseURI returns null.
Any suggestions?

[dannystommen]

I looked at it, and xmlDataDoc is indeed empty.

I suggest to save the xmlDataDoc in a temp directory, then open the file with a xmlDocument, and after you did everything you wanted to do, you could delete the file

         XmlDataDocument xmlDataDoc = new XmlDataDocument(dataset);
         string fileName = @"C:\temp\data.xml";
         xmlDataDoc.Save(fileName);
         XmlDocument xmlDoc = new XmlDocument();
         xmlDoc.Load(fileName);
         webBrowser1.Url = new Uri(xmlDoc.BaseURI);

         //do the things you want to do

         //at the end, delete the file
         FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(fileName);
         fi.Delete();