T4 Template Using XML

Introduction

In this article we learn what a Text Template Transformation Toolkit (T4) template is using XML. If you are unfamiliar with the T4 template then please read my article What a T4 Template is in MVC.

Let's create an empty MVC4 project.

1. Go to File → Project.
   
   
2. Select ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Application and name it T4TemplateUsingXml.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Ok.
   
   
4. Select an Empty Project.
   

After creating the project let's add a folder called Xml in the root directory.

Right-click on the Xml folder and add a XML file and name it Employee.xml.

After creating Employee.xml paste in the following code. 

<Employee>

     <EmployeeDetail>
         <Id>E001</Id>
         <Name>Pramod</Name>
         <Email>[email protected]</Email>
     </EmployeeDetail>

     <EmployeeDetail>
         <Id>E002</Id>
         <Name>Ravi Kant</Name>
         <Email>[email protected]</Email>
     </EmployeeDetail>

     <EmployeeDetail>
         <Id>E003</Id>
         <Name>Rahul</Name>
         <Email>[email protected]</Email>
     </EmployeeDetail>

     <EmployeeDetail>
         <Id>E004</Id>
         <Name>Deepak</Name>
         <Email>[email protected]</Email>
     </EmployeeDetail>

 </Employee>

 To create a model right-click on the Models folder and add a class and name it Employee and paste in the following code: 

 using System;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 namespace T4TemplateUsingXml.Models
 {
     [Serializable]
     [XmlRoot("Employee"), XmlType("Employee")]
     public class Employee
     {
         public string Id { get; set; }
         public string Name { get; set; }
         public string Email { get; set; }
     }
 }

 Now we create a controller, right-click on the Controller folder and add a controller named HomeController.

And then right-click on the index code inline and choose Add View using a scaffold empty template.

Let's run the project and see the output.

                                                   

Now I make a copy of List.tt and name it PramodList.tt and make some changes. After that add another view called IndexXml using a scaffold PramodList template.

//Location of List.tt is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates\CSharp\Web\MVC 4\CodeTemplates\AddView\CSHTML



And write some code in HomeController as in the following:

public ActionResult IndexXml()
 {
     string Data = Server.MapPath("~/Xml/Employee.xml");
     DataSet ds = new DataSet();
     ds.ReadXml(Data);
     var employee = new List<Employee>();
     employee = (from item in ds.Tables[0].AsEnumerable()
     select new Employee
     {
         Id = item[0].ToString(),
         Name = item[1].ToString(),
         Email = item[2].ToString(),
     }
     ).ToList();
     return View(employee);
 }

And run the application.
                                                         
Note: I am attaching a PramodList.tt along with the application. Please paste the PramodList.tt file into the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates\CSharp\Web\MVC 4\CodeTemplates\AddView\CSHTML

In the application I am just attaching Controller, Models, Views and XML folders.

I hope you enjoy this article.

Happy coding.