Question

i am trying to parse this xml file into an object to use the information it gathers. I am attaching an example of the xml. The XDocument fills with the xml information but it is not able to get the information i am wanting. Can someone help me, i’m new to this?

Edit- Just because you don’t see a field that i am looking for doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I double checked all values, they do exist, the Bill object is very large so i only put a portion of it.

Example xml

<results>


<count type="integer">13683</count>
  <bills type="array">
    <bill>
      <abbreviated type="boolean">false</abbreviated>
      <actions type="array">
        <action>
          <type>vote</type>
          <acted_at type="datetime">2010-12-22T12:00:00Z</acted_at>
          <text>Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.</text>
        </action>
        <action>
          <type>action</type>
          <acted_at type="datetime">2010-12-22T12:00:00Z</acted_at>
          <text>Message on Senate action sent to the House.</text>
        </action>
        <action>
          <type>action</type>
          <acted_at type="datetime">2010-12-22T21:05:00Z</acted_at>
          <text>Received in the House.</text>
        </action>
        <action>
          <type>action</type>
          <acted_at type="datetime">2010-12-22T22:10:00Z</acted_at>
          <text>Held at the desk.</text>
        </action>
      </actions>
      <awaiting_signature type="boolean">false</awaiting_signature>
      <bill_id>s4053-111</bill_id>
      <bill_type>s</bill_type>
      <chamber>senate</chamber>
      <code>s4053</code>
      <committees></committees>
      <cosponsor_ids type="array">
        <cosponsor_id>S000663</cosponsor_id>
      </cosponsor_ids>

My code (I have tried both “bill” and “bills” as the descendant.)

var tutorials = from tutorial in xmlDoc.Descendants("bills")
                            select new
                            {
                                SponsorID = tutorial.Element("sponsor_id").Value,
                                SponsorFirstName = tutorial.Element("sponsor").Element("first_name").Value,
                                SponsorLastName = tutorial.Element("sponsor").Element("last_name").Value,
                                LastActionText = tutorial.Element("last_action").Element("text").Value,
                                BillNumber = tutorial.Element("number").Value,
                                BillType = tutorial.Element("bill_type").Value,
                                Enacted = tutorial.Element("enacted").Value,
                                EnactedDateTime = tutorial.Element("enacted_at").Value,
                                CongressSession = tutorial.Element("session").Value,
                                HousePassageResult = tutorial.Element("house_passage_result").Value,
                                HousePassageDateTime = tutorial.Element("house_passage_result_at").Value,
                                SenatePassageResult = tutorial.Element("senate_passage_result").Value,
                                SenatePassageDateTime = tutorial.Element("senate_passage_result_at").Value,
                                ShortTitle = tutorial.Element("short_title").Value,
                            };

Answer 1

There is neither a sponsor_id nor a sponsor or a first_name element in your Xml (and so on), so basically your Xml is completely different from what your code expects – this cannot work, regardless of “bill” and “bills”.