Question

I am trying to group a flat XML data into hierarchial folders.

The code shown below works. I am trying to find the following:

1. How can I change the synatx for Console.WriteLine("\t\t{0},
   f.Element("FILE_NAME").Value); to something like f.FileName in
   the inner foreach statement.
2. Is there anything else I can do to make it more efficient and/or readable?

I am currently on 4.0, but wouldn’t mind learning about new features of newer versions that make this beeter

Thanks

Code:

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Xml.Linq;

namespace TestingStuff
{
    class LinqQuestion
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Question();

            #region End Console
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine("*".PadRight(30, '*'));
            Console.WriteLine("Done");

#if DEBUG
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
                Console.WriteLine("Where is the any key?  --Homer Simpson");
                Console.ReadKey(true);
            }
#endif
            #endregion
        }

        private static void Question()
        {
            int count = 0;
            XDocument xmlDoc = XDocument.Parse(
                @"<ROWSET>
                    <ROW>
                      <PARENT_DIR>Parent_100</PARENT_DIR>
                      <DIR>Folder_110</DIR>
                      <FILE_NAME>File_111</FILE_NAME>
                    </ROW>
                    <ROW>
                      <PARENT_DIR>Parent_100</PARENT_DIR>
                      <DIR>Folder_110</DIR>
                      <FILE_NAME>File_112</FILE_NAME>
                    </ROW>
                    <ROW>
                      <PARENT_DIR>Parent_200</PARENT_DIR>
                      <DIR>Folder_210</DIR>
                      <FILE_NAME>File_211</FILE_NAME>
                    </ROW>
                    <ROW>
                      <PARENT_DIR>Parent_200</PARENT_DIR>
                      <DIR>Folder_220</DIR>
                      <FILE_NAME>File_221</FILE_NAME>
                    </ROW>
                  </ROWSET>");


            var rows = from d in xmlDoc.Descendants("ROW")
                       group d by new
                       {   
                           ParentDir = d.Element("PARENT_DIR").Value,
                           Dir = d.Element("DIR").Value
                       }
                       ;
            foreach (var myRow in rows)
            {

                /* 
                 * Create Folders
                 * Folder: PARENT_DIR\DIR\FILE_NAME
                 * 
                 */
                try
                {

                    string[] folders = new string[] { myRow.Key.ParentDir, myRow.Key.Dir };
                    string newFolder = String.Join("\\", folders);

                    count++;

                    Console.WriteLine("{0}\t{1}", count, newFolder);

                    foreach (var f in myRow)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("\t\t{0}", f.Element("FILE_NAME").Value);
                    }
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Error in Copy Process:");
                    // Specify the XML details for failed file / row
                    Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
                }

            }
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine("Total Count: {0}", count);
            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine();
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Based on a different post in SO, I managed to get what I needed.

Modifed Linq code: (only the main parts are written)

    var expr = from d in xmlDoc.Descendants("ROW")
                        group d by new
                        {
                           ParentDir = d.Element("PARENT_DIR").Value,
                           Dir = d.Element("DIR").Value,

                        } into gDir
                        select new
                        {
                           GroupKey = gDir.Key,
                           Data = from z in gDir
                                  select new { FileName = z.Element("FILE_NAME").Value }

                        };

foreach (var g in expr)
{
   Console.WriteLine("{0}\t\t", g.GroupKey.ParentDir, g.GroupKey.Dir);

   foreach (var n in g.Data)
               Console.WriteLine("\t\t{0}", n.FileName);
}