Question

I have an XML File with Elements that look like the following:

<level>
        <name>Name of Level 1</name>
        <number>1</number>
        <authorTime>8.55</authorTime>
        <scoringTime>20</scoringTime>
        <map width="19" height="15"><!--Level1-->
            <row>0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0</row>
            <row>2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,-1,-1,0,1,0,-1,2,-1,0,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,0,-1,2</row>
            <row>0,1,0,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,0,1,0,1,0,-1,0,0,-1,0,0,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,0,1,0,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,-1,3,2,-1,0,-1,2,-1,0,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,0,1,0,0,0,-1,0,-1,0,1,1,0,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>0,1,0,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,2,-1,-1,0,1,0,1,0,-1,0,1,0,1,1,0,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,0,0,-1,-1,-1,0,-1,2,-1,2,-1,0,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,2,-1,-1,0,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,-1,0,0,-1,0,1,1,1,0,1,0,-1,0,1,1,0,-1,2</row>
            <row>2,5,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2</row>
            <row>0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0</row>
        </map>
    </level>

And I want to use an XDocument (in C#/XNA) to read the “map” into a 2D rectangular array (y,x) – so in this example case it would be int[15,19].

All I can think of is creating a jagged array and converting to a rectangular one later – something like

int[][] test = ((from level in xDoc.Descendants("level")
                select (from map in level.Element("map")
                            select (from row in map.Elements("row")
                                    select (int.Parse(row.Value))).ToArray()).ToArray()));

But I know I need a string split on commas in here somewhere; and anyway I get a “select not found” error on level.Element(“map”).

My finished array should look like {{0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0},{2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,2},…

Can anyone help?

–EDIT–

I now have:

    var test = (from level in xDoc.Descendants("level")
                    select (from row in level.Elements("map").Elements("row")
                        select (from col in row.Value.Split(',')
                            select (int.Parse(col))).ToArray()).ToArray());

which is giving me the data I want, but the “test” output is showing up in the debug as being of type: {System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator<System.Xml.Linq.XElement,int[][]>}

Getting closer, but still not quite right!

Answer 1

Just make it

select (from row in map.Elements("row").Value.Split(',')
        select (int.Parse(row) ...

And then it might just make sense to call it col instead of row.

All I can think of is creating a jagged array and converting to a rectangular one later

Why convert? A jagged array seems fine.

---

Edit

I gave it a test :

        var test =
            from level in doc.Descendants("level")
            select (from map in level.Elements("map")
                select (from row in map.Elements("row")
                        select (from col in row.Value.Split(',') 
                          select int.Parse(col)).ToArray()).ToArray() );

Which gives you an IEnumerabl<IEnumerable<int[][]>> (level and map lists).

So test.First().First() is your first array.