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:

Record of Employee

Now see the record in XML form.

xml output

Read XML File Using Web API

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