Read XML File Using Web API

Introduction

This article explains how to read a XML file using the Web API. Here we need to create a XML file and save it in a folder from where the Web API reads the XML and displays the record in the browser. In this tutorial I will create an "Employee.XML" file.

The data of this XML file, when displayed, appears like this:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>

-<documentelement>-

    <employee>

    <id>1</id>

    <cmp_name>MCN Solutions Pvt Ltd</cmp_name>

    <address>Noida</address>

    </employee>-

    <employee>

    <id>2</id>

    <cmp_name>NIIT Limited</cmp_name>

    <address>Gurgao</address>

    </employee>-<employee>

    <id>3</id>

    <cmp_name>Cipla</cmp_name>

    <address>Delhi</address>

    </employee>-<employee>

    <id>4</id>

    <cmp_name>Tech Mahindra</cmp_name>

    <address>Noida</address>

    </employee>

    </documentelement>

Step 1

Create the Web API application as in the following:

• Start Visual Studio 2013.
• From the Start Window Select "New Project".
• Select "Installed" -> "Template" -> "Visual C#" -> "Web" -> "Visual Studio 2012" and then select "ASP.NET MVC4 Web Application".

• Click on the "OK" button.
• From the MVC4 project window select "Web API".

• Click on the "OK" button.

Step 2

Create a model class:

• In the Solution Explorer.
• Right-click on the Model Folder.
• Select "Add" -> "Class".
• Select "Installed" -> "Visual C#"-> and select "Class".

• Click on the "OK" button.

Add the following code:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Web; 

namespace APIApp.Models

{

    public class Employee

    {

        public string ID { get; set; }

        public string Cmp_Name { get; set; }

        public string Address { get; set; }

    }

}

Step 3

Create an API controller:

• In the "Solution Explorer".
• Right-click on the "Controller folder".
• Select "Add" -> "Controller".
• Select "API Controller" from the template.

• Click on the "Add" button.

Add the following code:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Net;

using System.Net.Http;

using System.Web.Http;

using APIApp.Models;

using System.Xml.Linq;

namespace APIApp.Controllers

{

    public class EmployeeController : ApiController

    {

        public List<Employee> GetAllEmpoyees()

        {            

            List<Employee> employees = new List<Employee>();    

            XDocument doc = XDocument.Load("D:\\Mudita\\Employee.xml");

            foreach (XElement element in doc.Descendants("DocumentElement")

                .Descendants("Employee"))

            {

                Employee employee = new Employee();

                employee.ID = element.Element("ID").Value;

                employee.Cmp_Name = element.Element("Cmp_Name").Value;

                employee.Address  = element.Element ("Address").Value;

                employees.Add(employee);   

            }

            return employees;

        }

        public Employee GetEmployee(int id)

        {

           Employee employee = new Employee();

           XDocument doc = XDocument.Load("D:\\Mudita\\Employee.xml");

            XElement element = doc.Element("DocumentElement")

                                .Elements("Employee").Elements("ID").

                                SingleOrDefault(x => x.Value == id.ToString());

                       if (element != null)

            {

                XElement parent = element.Parent;

                employee.ID =

                        parent.Element("ID").Value;

                employee.Cmp_Name =

                        parent.Element("Cmp_Name").Value;

                employee.Address =

                        parent.Element("Address").Value;

                return employee;

            }

            else

            {

                throw new HttpResponseException

                    (new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.NotFound));

            }

        }

    }

}

    

 

Step 4

Add an Index.cshtml file using the following:

• In Solution Explorer.

• Select "Home" -> "Index.cshtml".

Add the following code to it:

 

<div id="body">

    <section class="content-wrapper main-content clear-fix">

        <div>

            <h2>All Employees</h2>

        </div>

        <div>

            <table id="employees" style="border: 1px solid black;"></table>

        </div>

    </section>

</div>

@section scripts {

    <script>

        var apiEmployees = 'api/employee';

        $(document).ready(function () {

            // Send an AJAX request

            var rows = '';

            $('#employees').empty();

            $.getJSON(apiEmployees,

                function (data) {

                    $.each(data, function (key, val) {

                        var employeeURL = apiEmployees + '/' + val.EmployeeID;

                        rows = rows + '<tr style="border: 1px solid black;"><td>  ' +

                        '<a style="color: Blue; font-weight:bold; font-size:15px"'

                           + 'href="' + employeeURL + '">' + val.ID + '</a>' +

                            '</td><td>' + val.Cmp_Name +

                            '</td><td>' + val.Address + '</td></tr>';

                    });

                    $('#employees').html(rows);

                });

        });

    </script>

}

Step 5

Execute the application:

Now see the record in XML form.