XML File Connector for C#

XML File Connector can be used to extract and output XML data stored in local XML files or direct XML String (variables or DB columns). XML Connector also supports Path expression to extract data from any level. This Connector is optimized to work with very large files.

In this article you will learn how to quickly and efficiently integrate XML File data in C#. We will use high-performance XML File Connector to easily connect to XML File and then access the data inside C#.

Let's follow the steps below to see how we can accomplish that!

Download Documentation

Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on ZappySys XML Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from XML File using C# we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from XML File. We will later be able to read data using C#. Perform these steps:

  1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack.

  2. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):

    Open ODBC Data Source
  3. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on ZappySys XML Driver

    ZappySys XML Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys XML Driver
    • Create and use User DSN if the client application is run under a User Account. This is an ideal option in design-time, when developing a solution, e.g. in Visual Studio 2019. Use it for both type of applications - 64-bit and 32-bit.
    • Create and use System DSN if the client application is launched under a System Account, e.g. as a Windows Service. Usually, this is an ideal option to use in a production environment. Use ODBC Data Source Administrator (32-bit), instead of 64-bit version, if Windows Service is a 32-bit application.
  4. You can use pass single file or multiple file path using wildcard pattern in path and you can use select single file by clicking [...] path button or multiple file using wildcard pattern in path.

    Note: If you want to operation with multiple files then use wild card pattern as below 
    (when you use wild card pattern in source path then system will treat target path as folder regardless you end with slash)
    
    C:\SSIS\Test\reponse.xml (will read only single reponse.xml file)
    C:\SSIS\Test\j*.xml (all files starting with file name j)
    C:\SSIS\Test\*.xml (all files with .xml Extension and located under folder subfolder)
    

  5. Now enter Path expression in Array Filter textbox to extract only specific part of XML file as below ($.feed.entry[*] will get content of entry attribute from XML document. Entry attribute is array of XML documents so we have to use [*] to indicate we want all records of that array)

    NOTE: Here, We are using our desired filter, but you need to select your desired filter based on your requirement.

    Click on Test Connection button to view whether the Test Connection is SUCCESSFUL or Not.

    $.feed.entry[*]
    ZappySys ODBC Driver - Configure XML Driver
  6. Once you configured a data source, you can preview data. Hit Preview tab, and use similar settings to preview data:
    ZappySys ODBC Driver - Preview XML Driver

  7. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

  8. That's it; we are done. In a few clicks we configured the call to XML File using ZappySys XML File Connector.

Video Tutorial

Read data in C#

Using ODBC DSN

  1. Create a new Console project and use this code to read the data:

    "XmlFileDSN";
    Make ZappySys Driver call in c#

  2. Press F5 to run the code and read the data:
    ZappySys Driver Output in c#

  3. Here is the code in text format:

    using System;
    using System.Data.Odbc;
    
    namespace ConsoleApp {
        class Program {
            static void Main() {
                var dsn = "XmlFileDSN";
                using (var conn = new OdbcConnection(String.Format("DSN={0}", dsn)))
                {
                    conn.Open();
                    var cmd = new OdbcCommand("SELECT * FROM Products", conn);
                    
                    //Increase the timeout duration from the default 30 seconds, which may be insufficient in certain scenarios
                    cmd.CommandTimeout=600; // 600-Seconds
                    
                    var rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();
                    while (rdr.Read())
                    {
                        for (int i = 0; i < rdr.FieldCount; i++)
                        {
                                Console.Write("{0}\t", rdr[i]);
                        }
                        Console.WriteLine();
                    }
                }
                Console.ReadKey();
            }
        }
    }
    

Using a full ODBC connection string

If you want to avoid being dependent on a DSN and creating multiple DSNs for each platform (x86, x64), then you can use a fully qualified connection string. Simply go to your DSN and copy the Connection String:

  1. Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
    ZappySys XML Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
    ZappySys XML Driver - XML File
    XML File Connector can be used to extract and output XML data stored in local XML files or direct XML String (variables or DB columns). XML Connector also supports Path expression to extract data from any level. This Connector is optimized to work with very large files.
    XmlFileDSN
    Copy connection string for ODBC application
  2. The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard: Successful connection string copying for ODBC application
  3. Then in your C# code, pass the connection string as an argument when calling the OdbcConnection object's constructor, for example:

    var connectionString = @"DRIVER={ZappySys XML Driver};DataPath='C:\my-folder\file-*.xml'";
    
    using (var conn = new OdbcConnection(connectionString))
    {
        // your code goes here
    }

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to XML File in C# and integrate data without any coding, saving you time and effort.

We encourage you to download XML File Connector for C# and see how easy it is to use it for yourself or your team.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact ZappySys support team. You can also open a live chat immediately by clicking on the chat icon below.

Download XML File Connector for C# Documentation

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