Question

I would like to create a custom XmlDeclaration while using the XmlDocument/XmlDeclaration classes in c# .net 2 or 3.

This is my desired output (it is an expected output by a 3rd party app):

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ISO-8859-1' ?> <?MyCustomNameHere attribute1='val1' attribute2='val2' ?> [ ...more xml... ] 

Using the XmlDocument/XmlDeclaration classes, it appears I can only create a single XmlDeclaration with a defined set of parameters:

XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument(); XmlDeclaration declaration = doc.CreateXmlDeclaration('1.0', 'ISO-8859-1', null); doc.AppendChild(declaration); 

Is there a class other than the XmlDocument/XmlDeclaration I should be looking at to create the custom XmlDeclaration? Or is there a way with the XmlDocument/XmlDeclaration classes itself?

Answer 1

What you are wanting to create is not an XML declaration, but a ‘processing instruction’. You should use the XmlProcessingInstruction class, not the XmlDeclaration class, e.g.:

XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument(); XmlDeclaration declaration = doc.CreateXmlDeclaration('1.0', 'ISO-8859-1', null); doc.AppendChild(declaration); XmlProcessingInstruction pi = doc.CreateProcessingInstruction('MyCustomNameHere', 'attribute1=\'val1\' attribute2=\'val2\''); doc.AppendChild(pi);