Question

I’m new to Linq and I’m trying to query a XML document to find a list of account managers for a particular user. (I realize it might make more sense to put this in a database or something else, but this scenario calls for a XML document).

<user emailAddress='[e-mail]'>
    <accountManager department='Customer Service' title='Manager'>[e-mail]</accountManager>
    <accountManager department='Sales' title='Account Manager'>[e-mail]</accountManager>
    <accountManager department='Sales' title='Account Manager'>[e-mail]</accountManager>
</user>

I trying to create a list of objects (anonymous type?) with properties consisting of both XElement attributes (department, title) and values (email). I know that I can get either of the two, but my problem is selecting both.

Here is what I’m trying:

var managers = _xDoc.Root.Descendants("user")
               .Where(d => d.Attribute("emailAddress").Value == "[e-mail]")
               .SelectMany(u => u.Descendants("accountManager").Select(a => a.Value));

foreach (var manager in managers)
{
     //do stuff
}

I can get at a.Value and a.Attribute but I can’t figure out how to get both and store them in an object. I have a feeling it would wind up looking something like:

select new { 
    department = u.Attribute("department").Value,
    title = u.Attribute("title").Value,
    email = u.Value
};

Answer 1

You are correct. It would look exactly like that.

For example:

_xDoc.Root.Descendants("user")
          .Where(d => d.Attribute("emailAddress").Value == "[e-mail]")
          .SelectMany(u => u.Descendants("accountManager"))
          .Select(a => new { 
              department = a.Attribute("department").Value,
              title = a.Attribute("title").Value,
              email = a.Value
          });

EDIT: Using query comprehension syntax:

from u in _xDoc.Root.Descendants("user")
where u.Attribute("emailAddress").Value == "[e-mail]"
from a in u.Descendants("accountManager")
select new { 
               department = a.Attribute("department").Value,
               title = a.Attribute("title").Value,
               email = a.Value
           });