How to: Find a List of Child Elements (XPath-LINQ to XML)
This topic compares the XPath child elements axis to the LINQ to XML Elements axis.
The XPath expression is: ./*
Example
This example finds all of the child elements of the Address element.
This example uses the following XML document: Sample XML File: Multiple Purchase Orders (LINQ to XML).
XDocument cpo = XDocument.Load("PurchaseOrders.xml");
XElement po = cpo.Root.Element("PurchaseOrder").Element("Address");
// LINQ to XML query
IEnumerable<XElement> list1 = po.Elements();
// XPath expression
IEnumerable<XElement> list2 = po.XPathSelectElements("./*");
if (list1.Count() == list2.Count() &&
list1.Intersect(list2).Count() == list1.Count())
Console.WriteLine("Results are identical");
else
Console.WriteLine("Results differ");
foreach (XElement el in list1)
Console.WriteLine(el);
Dim cpo As XDocument = XDocument.Load("PurchaseOrders.xml")
Dim po As XElement = cpo.Root.<PurchaseOrder>.<Address>.FirstOrDefault
' LINQ to XML query
Dim list1 As IEnumerable(Of XElement) = po.Elements()
' XPath expression
Dim list2 As IEnumerable(Of XElement) = po.XPathSelectElements("./*")
If (list1.Count() = list2.Count()) AndAlso _
(list1.Intersect(list2).Count() = list1.Count()) Then
Console.WriteLine("Results are identical")
Else
Console.WriteLine("Results differ")
End If
For Each el As XElement In list1
Console.WriteLine(el)
Next
This example produces the following output:
Results are identical
<Name>Ellen Adams</Name>
<Street>123 Maple Street</Street>
<City>Mill Valley</City>
<State>CA</State>
<Zip>10999</Zip>
<Country>USA</Country>