Displaying XML Data in ASP.Net GridView

Now let's see how to how to display XML file data in a GridView control in 6 easy steps. 

Step 1: Create an ASP.NET empty Web Application.



Step 2: Create an XML file.

Right-click on the project then select Add -> New Item then select Data in the installed templates then select XML file then provide a name then click on Add.



Step 3: Provide the code for the XML file.



Step 4: Create an ASP.NET web form.

Right-click on the project then select Add -> New Item then select Web in the installed templates then select Web form then provide a name then select Add.

Once you have added the web from, the next step is to add a data grid control to your web form (just simply drag and drop from the Toolbox) as shown below.



Step 5: Write Code in Web form



Understanding the code

It's just four lines of code and easy to understand.

I created a DataSet object in the first line (in the Page_Load event).
  1. DataSet ds=new DataSet(); 
Invoke the ReadXml method to read the XML file and store it in ds (DataSet object).
  1. ds.ReadXml(Server.MapPath (“~/Parts.Xml”)); 
Using the ds (DataSet object) as the DataSource for the GridView1.
  1. GridView1.DataSource=ds; 
Invoke the DataBind method as in the following:
  1. GridView1.DataBind (); 
Step 6: Run the Web form

Here is the data from our XML file.



We can also do this without writing even a single line of code (using XMLDataSource).

Next Recommended Readings