How to change the root tag name in xml

Question

I need to change the xml root tag name from "string" to "TramaOutput". How to achieve this

public string ToXml() 
    { 
        XElement element = new XElement("TramaOutput", 
        new XElement("Artist", "bla"), 
        new XElement("Title", "Foo")); 
        return Convert.ToString(element);
    }

For this the output is:

<string>
    <TramaOutput>
        <Artist>bla</Artist>
        <Title>Foo</Title>
    </TramaOutput>
</string>

In the below mentioned code I am getting an error like "Cannot use wildcards at the top level of a schema."

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Services;
using System.Xml.Linq;

namespace WebApplication1
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Summary description for WebService1
    /// </summary>
    [WebService(Namespace = "http://tempuri.org/")]
    [WebServiceBinding(ConformsTo = WsiProfiles.BasicProfile1_1)]
    [System.ComponentModel.ToolboxItem(false)]
    // To allow this Web Service to be called from script, using ASP.NET AJAX, uncomment the following line. 
    // [System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptService]
    public class WebService1 : System.Web.Services.WebService
    {

        [WebMethod]
        public XElement getXl()
        {
            XElement element = new XElement("Root",new XElement("BookId",1),new XElement("BookId",2));

            return element;
        }
    }
}

Your error is elsewhere - this code outputs xml without `` tag. How you are saving xml? — Sergey Berezovskiy, Jun 14 '13 at 07:38
BTW `XElement` is not `IConvertable` or `IFormattable` so `Convert.ToString(element)` internally just calls `element.ToString()` — Sergey Berezovskiy, Jun 14 '13 at 07:40
[Click Here] [0] for reference: This might solve your problem. [0]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11439733/how-to-add-root-tag-to-the-string-xml — Sanjeev Rai, Jun 14 '13 at 07:46
@Vignesh create class `TramaOutput` with properties `Artist` and `Title`. Create instance of this class and send it as response. Object will be serialized into xml. Currently you are sending string, which is serialized into xml. — Sergey Berezovskiy, Jun 14 '13 at 09:49

Sergey Berezovskiy · Answer 1 · 2013-06-14T11:04:20.673

4

Your code generates correct xml, there is no error:

<TramaOutput>
    <Artist>bla</Artist>
    <Title>Foo</Title>
</TramaOutput>

You see <string> element, because you are sending this xml as a string data type over the network. I.e. you receive string with content of your xml.

More examples - if you will send "42" string, you'll see

<string>42</string>

How to solve your problem? Create following class:

public class TramaOutput
{
    public string Artist { get; set; }
    public string Title { get; set; }
}

And return instance of it from your web service:

[WebMethod]
public TramaOutput GetArtist()
{
    return new TramaOutput {Artist = "bla", Title = "foo"};
}

Object will be serialized into your xml:

<TramaOutput><Artist>bla</Artist><Title>foo</Title></TramaOutput>

You don't need to build xml manually!

If you want to control process of serialization, you can use xml attributes. Apply attributes to your class and it's members, like this:

[XmlAttribute("artist")]
public string Artist { get; set; }

That will serialize property into attribute:

<TramaOutput artist="bla"><Title>foo</Title></TramaOutput>

edited Jun 14 '13 at 11:04

answered Jun 14 '13 at 07:44

Sergey Berezovskiy

232,247
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429
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So are you implying that `return Convert.ToString(element);` creates the `` tag? – Mike Perrenoud Jun 14 '13 at 07:45
@MichaelPerrenoud no, I'm implying that *sending* string data type creates `` tag – Sergey Berezovskiy Jun 14 '13 at 07:46
1

I got you. So the process (i.e. more specifically the type sent) by which the OP is sending the data to the receiver is the issue. – Mike Perrenoud Jun 14 '13 at 07:47
@MichaelPerrenoud exactly :) – Sergey Berezovskiy Jun 14 '13 at 07:48
now i had attached the full code – Vignesh Jun 14 '13 at 09:55
1

@lazyberezovsky I tried your code its working now, thanks for your help. I have an another query, if i want to use attributes for the xml tag then what should I need to do – Vignesh Jun 14 '13 at 11:01
1

@Vignesh you can use XmlAttribute attribute for this. See updated answer and link – Sergey Berezovskiy Jun 14 '13 at 11:06
@lazyberezovsky yeah i tried that it's working but if i need to add attribute for Title tag for this case what should i need to do – Vignesh Jun 14 '13 at 11:37
@Vignesh you need title element represented as attribute, or you need title element with some attribute inside? (btw I think serialization tuning is out of this question scope) – Sergey Berezovskiy Jun 14 '13 at 11:38
@lazyberezovsky yyy/TramaOutput> , i need like this output – Vignesh Jun 14 '13 at 11:47
@Vignesh [here is sample](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/797055/xml-serialization-question-how-to-serialize-element-attribute-and-text-from-o) – Sergey Berezovskiy Jun 14 '13 at 11:56

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 14 '13 at 07:48

1

I checked it under .net 4.5 Both

Convert.ToString(element);
element.ToString();

Are all return

<TramaOutput>
    <Artist>bla</Artist>
    <Title>Foo</Title>
</TramaOutput>

What's .NET version and XML.Linq version you are using now?

answered Jun 14 '13 at 07:48

Yemol

29
3

How to change the root tag name in xml

2 Answers2