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Using XPath with XML returned by SharePoint Web services

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I've seen quite often people writing code that parses thru XML returned by SPS Web services as strings instead of using XPath - cause the XmlDocument throws this error all the time if you dont use an XmlNameSpaceManager

"Namespace Manager or XsltContext needed. This query has a prefix, variable, or user-defined function."

Heres a snippet that tells you how to use the XmlNameSpaceManager to use XPath with the XmlDocument.

Dim Document As New XmlDocument
Dim xml As String

xml = "<listitems xmlns:s=""uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882"" xmlns:dt=""uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882"" xmlns:rs=""urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset"" xmlns:z=""#RowsetSchema"" TimeStamp=""2004-12-20T20:57:26Z"" xmlns=""https://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/""><rs:data ItemCount=""0""></rs:data><rs:data ItemCount=""0""></rs:data></listitems>"
Document.LoadXml(xml)

'Since the XML returned by SPS contains namespace prefixes - we need to create a XmlNamespaceManager
Dim SharePointNamespacePrefix As String = "sp"
Dim SharePointNamespaceURI As String = "https://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/"

Dim ListItemsNamespacePrefix As String = "z"
Dim ListItemsNamespaceURI As String = "#RowsetSchema"

Dim PictureLibrariesNamespacePrefix As String = "s"
Dim PictureLibrariesNamespaceURI As String = "uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882"

Dim WebPartsNamespacePrefix As String = "dt"
Dim WebPartsNamespaceURI As String = "uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882"

Dim DirectoryNamespacePrefix As String = "rs"
Dim DirectoryNamespaceURI As String = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset"

'now associate with the xmlns namespaces (part of all XML nodes returned
'from SharePoint) a namespace prefix which we can then use in the queries
Dim NamespaceMngr As XmlNamespaceManager
NamespaceMngr = New XmlNamespaceManager(Document.NameTable)

NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(SharePointNamespacePrefix, SharePointNamespaceURI)
NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(ListItemsNamespacePrefix, ListItemsNamespaceURI)
NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(PictureLibrariesNamespacePrefix, PictureLibrariesNamespaceURI)
NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(WebPartsNamespacePrefix, WebPartsNamespaceURI)
NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(DirectoryNamespacePrefix, DirectoryNamespaceURI)

'run the XPath query and return the result nodes
Dim xNodeList As XmlNodeList
xNodeList = Document.SelectNodes("//z:row[@ows_Title]", NamespaceMngr)

Mohammed Jeelani

Comments

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2005
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    October 20, 2006
    Seeing how you set it out helped me put the final pieces together in this lovely coughs puzzle.  I hadn't realised that your AddNamespace calls need to have exactly the same text in them as is shown in the xmlns declaration, ie xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" has to be represented by NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace("z", "#RowsetSchema"). Thanks for keeping my project on track!

  • Anonymous
    November 26, 2006
    -- Build to Perform, Architect to Evolve -- I do not agree. Go to http://www.hotelshouse.info/woe_Germany/organ_Nordrhein-Westfalen/pyjamas_D%C3%BCsseldorf_1.html

  • Anonymous
    December 05, 2006
    -- Build to Perform, Architect to Evolve -- I do not agree. Go to http://www.apartments.waw.pl

  • Anonymous
    October 04, 2007
    This is great! Helped me a lot

  • Anonymous
    October 12, 2007
    That kept me from pulling my hair out.  Thanks!!

  • Anonymous
    December 01, 2007
    Yes. this is a good post. Easier way is to get the Innerxml of the Webservice Return param and just add the following code XmlDocument xDoc = new XmlDocument();            xDoc.LoadXml(SPXml);            string ListItemsNamespacePrefix = "z";            string ListItemsNamespaceURI = "#RowsetSchema";            string DirectoryNamespacePrefix = "rs";            string DirectoryNamespaceURI = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset";            XmlNamespaceManager NamespaceMngr = new XmlNamespaceManager(xDoc.NameTable);            NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(ListItemsNamespacePrefix, ListItemsNamespaceURI);            NamespaceMngr.AddNamespace(DirectoryNamespacePrefix, DirectoryNamespaceURI);            XmlNodeList xNList = xDoc.SelectNodes("//rs:data//z:row", NamespaceMngr); I dont think that the SharePointNamespaceURI PictureLibrariesNamespaceURI WebPartsNamespaceURI are needed as the rs:data element contains the rows data and z:row contains the row data.

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2008
    Thanks a lot for posting this. It got me on the right track for my project.

  • Anonymous
    June 18, 2009
    PingBack from http://patiocushionsource.info/story.php?id=2300