Question

I am reading XML using xmlreader, and then binding the xml to a Repeater

Here’s the code behind:

            XmlReaderSettings settings = new XmlReaderSettings();
        settings.ProhibitDtd = false;

        XmlReader xmlData = XmlReader.Create(webClient.OpenRead(requestUrl), settings);

        try
        {
            xmlData.ReadToFollowing("SearchResults");
            Label1.Text = xmlData.GetAttribute("TotalCount");
            int numberResults = Convert.ToInt32(xmlData.GetAttribute("TotalCount"));
            if (numberResults > 0)
            {
                DataSet ds = new DataSet();
                ds.ReadXml(xmlData);
                Repeater1.DataSource = ds.Tables[1];
                Repeater1.DataBind();
            }
            else
            {
                Repeater1.DataSource = null;
                Repeater1.DataBind();
            }
        }

Here’s the repeater

        <asp:Repeater ID="Repeater1" runat="server">
    <HeaderTemplate><b>Results</b><br /><br /></HeaderTemplate>
    <ItemTemplate>
   <a href="<%#DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Url")%>">
    <%#DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Title")%></a><br />
    </ItemTemplate>
    </asp:Repeater>

And the xml looks like:

  <SearchResults PageSize="1" PageIndex="0" TotalCount="155">
<SearchResult>
  <ContentId>2458</ContentId>
  <Title>Component description</Title>
  <Url>http://whatever/19/p/1537/2458.aspx</Url>
  <Date>2009-06-10T09:34:00+01:00</Date>
  <ContentType>forum</ContentType>
  <Tags>
    <Tag>Component</Tag>
  </Tags>
  <Users>
    <User>
      <Id>2533</Id>
      <DisplayName>Haubent</DisplayName>
      <Username>Haubent</Username>
    </User>
  </Users>
  <IndexedAt>2010-07-29T15:40:52.414+01:00</IndexedAt>
</SearchResult>

So far so good.

But – I want to be able to show the contents of the DisplayName node in my repeater item template.

I tried

<%#DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "DisplayName")%>

and

<%#DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Users.User.DisplayName")%>

but I get an error:

System.Web.HttpException: DataBinding: ‘System.Data.DataRowView’ does not contain a property with the name ‘Users’.

How to get at the DisplayName?

Answer 1

I think the best (and most natural) way to do this is by using Linq To XML.
You can change your try block in this way:

try
{
    xmlData.ReadToFollowing("SearchResults");
    Label1.Text = xmlData.GetAttribute("TotalCount");
    int numberResults = Convert.ToInt32(xmlData.GetAttribute("TotalCount"));
    if (numberResults > 0)
    {
        XDocument xml = XDocument.Parse(xmlData.ReadOuterXml());

        Repeater1.DataSource = xml.Element("SearchResults").Elements("SearchResult");
        Repeater1.DataBind();
    }
    else
    {
        Repeater1.DataSource = null;
        Repeater1.DataBind();
    }
}
catch 
{
    // do some catch
}

passing an XElement collection to de repeater. Then you can declare an OnRepeaterDataBound method similar to this:

protected void Repeater1_OnItemDataBound(object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e) 
{
    if ((e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Item) || ((e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.AlternatingItem))) 
    {
        XElement User = ((XElement)e.Item.DataItem).Element("Users").Element("User");

        HyperLink hlUrl = ((HyperLink)e.Item.FindControl("hlUrl"));

        hlUrl.NavigateUrl = ((XElement)e.Item.DataItem).Element("Url").Value;
        hlUrl.Text = User.Element("DisplayName").Value;
    }
}

Having the repeater as:

<asp:Repeater ID="Repeater1" runat="server" OnItemDataBound="Repeater1_OnItemDataBound">
    <HeaderTemplate>
        <b>Results</b><br />
        <br />
    </HeaderTemplate>
    <ItemTemplate>
        <asp:HyperLink ID="hlUrl" runat="server" />
    </ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

On the Repeater1_OnItemDataBound you will be able to parse your xml in the way you want.