Question

VS2005 Linking XML document to XSD file

Asked by: FJRMill

Dear experts

I need to handle xml data using visual basic in a windows forms project in Visual Studio 2005. My intention is to create an XML file, linked to an .XSD file to represent a small collection of database tables. I am designing an application to read in data from the XML file, append new records, amend records, and display selected records.

New to this, work has quickly ground to a halt because the guidance I am following suggests that once a schema file has been created, it is very simple to add a new XML document to the VS project and link this to the schema.

I have replicated the .XSD file provided as an example
See code snippet:



However, when I add a new .xml document to the project, by default, the new document contains only a single line:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

VS2005 shows an error (red wiggly) at the end of the line. Hovering the cursor over the red wiggly displays following error text:
XML document must contain a root level element


Please look at the LearnVisualStudio video here:
http://gmilner.myzen.co.uk/2502.wmv


In this video, at about 1 minute 20 seconds, the trainer demonstrates the creation of an xml document within Visual Studio .. but he does not get the root element error I am experiencing.  OK, it is likely that he is using a different version of VS,  also, the video refers to the TargetSchema property, where XML documents in VS2005 have a Schemas property.

I have hooked the Schemas property of  my new XML document to my XSD file but this appears to have no effect in the XML document.


My question:
In VS 2005, how do we associate an XML document with an XSD schema file, so that when the xml document is opened in Data view in Visual Studio, the XSD structure is applied?

Linked question:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Database/Miscellaneous/Q_23266426.html

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema id="EmplyeesSchema" targetNamespace="http://tempuri.org/EmplyeesSchema.xsd" elementFormDefault="qualified" xmlns="http://tempuri.org/EmplyeesSchema.xsd" xmlns:mstns="http://tempuri.org/EmplyeesSchema.xsd" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xs:simpleType name="ZipCode">
    <xs:restriction base="xs:positiveInteger">
      <xs:pattern value="\d{5}" />
    </xs:restriction>
  </xs:simpleType>
  <xs:complexType name="Address">
    <xs:sequence>
      <xs:element name="Name" type="xs:string" />
      <xs:element name="Street" type="xs:string" />
      <xs:element name="State" type="xs:string" />
      <xs:element name="Zip" type="ZipCode" />
    </xs:sequence>
  </xs:complexType>
  <xs:element name="EmployeeList">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element name="Employee">
          <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence>
              <xs:element name="Email" type="xs:string" />
              <xs:element name="Password" type="xs:string" />
              <xs:element name="HomeAddress" type="Address" />
              <xs:element name="OtherAddress" type="Address" />
            </xs:sequence>
          </xs:complexType>
        </xs:element>
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

                                  
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Asked On
2008-03-29 at 09:20:00ID23279534
Tags

Visual Basic (Visual Studio 2005, Windows Forms)

Topics

.NET

,

Microsoft Visual Basic.Net

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
10

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Answers

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2008-03-30 at 05:24:43ID: 21240448

1) Who knows what version of .NET 2005 that is.

2) What version do you have?

3) That error is not really important, if you plan to continue and add XML text to the document.

Bob

 

by: FJRMillPosted on 2008-03-31 at 02:44:45ID: 21244152

Hi Bob

Thanks for your response.  I'm using Visual Studio 2005.  I tried hard to provide the background to my problem .. but my primary aim is to get and answer to the question:

In VS 2005, how do we associate an XML document with an XSD schema file, so that when the xml document is opened in Data view in Visual Studio, the XSD structure is applied?

Ultimately, when I have got my head around the methods to apply, I intend to read-in, manipulate/display the data, and write-back to the XML file using code behind Windows forms.

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2008-03-31 at 05:46:11ID: 21244828

Are you using Express, Professional, or Team Suite 2005?  What do you mean by "opened in Data view"?

Bob

 

by: FJRMillPosted on 2008-03-31 at 06:54:26ID: 21245343

Hello again Bob.

I'm Using VS 2005 Professional.

Right clicking on the XML document within VS gives  a contextual menu which includes a view Data option. Without a root node, the default xml file shows nothing in the data view. How do I get this new xml document to automatically pick up its structure from the designated xsd?


{ when I select my .xsd file from the list which shows when clicking the elipsis in the xml properties window ('Schemas' property), nothing changes in the text of the .xml document itself .. whereas in the \LearnVisualStudio video, selecting an xsd file against TargetSchema does amend the .xml text.. }

Thanks

Mill.

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2008-03-31 at 07:13:57ID: 21245519

Mill,

You can attach a screen shot .png file that shows what you have tried?

Bob

 

by: FJRMillPosted on 2008-03-31 at 12:16:34ID: 21248207

Hello again Bob.

I started by creating the .xsd in Design view:
{xsd-01.png}

This automatically converts to the code view I provided in the 'code snippet' above.

I then created a new xml file. This defaults to the single line file as shown in:
{xsd-02.png}  

To associate the new xml file to the xsd, I went to 'Properties/Schemas' and clicked on the elipsis.  ...     .  This opens the XSD Schemas dialogue box.  I select the XSD I have just created and click OK.
Also: {xsd-02.png}

At this point, according to the LearnVisualStudio video, we would like the xml file to be amended by Visual Studio to reference the xsd file - but this does not happen.

File {xsd-03.png} shows the end result. The Schemas property is referencing the xsd file .. but the text of the xml file does not change ..


Note all along, the red 'squiggly' at the end of the single line of code in the xml file. Hover the cursor over this and get the message 'xml file must contain a root element'


Thanks

Mill








 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2008-03-31 at 12:35:47ID: 21248377

I didn't watch the video again, but this is how I would do it.

1) On line 2, type '<', and you will get a dropdown of the allowable entries.  

2) Double click on the namespace entry in the list, and you'll get something like this:

<AdventureWorksDataSet xmlns="http://tempuri.org/AdventureWorksDataSet.xsd"

3) Close the tag with '>' at the end, and you'll automatically get this:

<AdventureWorksDataSet xmlns="http://tempuri.org/AdventureWorksDataSet.xsd"></AdventureWorksDataSet>

4) Repeat the process for other elements.

Example:

<AdventureWorksDataSet xmlns="http://tempuri.org/AdventureWorksDataSet.xsd">
  <Employee>
    <EmployeeID></EmployeeID>
    <NationalIDNumber></NationalIDNumber>
    <ContactID></ContactID>
    <LoginID></LoginID>
    <ManagerID></ManagerID>
    <Title></Title>
    <BirthDate></BirthDate>
    <MaritalStatus></MaritalStatus>
    <Gender></Gender>
    <HireDate></HireDate>
    <SalariedFlag></SalariedFlag>
    <VacationHours></VacationHours>
    <SickLeaveHours></SickLeaveHours>
    <CurrentFlag></CurrentFlag>
    <rowguid></rowguid>
    <ModifiedDate></ModifiedDate>
  </Employee>
</AdventureWorksDataSet>
                                              
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by: FJRMillPosted on 2008-04-01 at 13:40:44ID: 21257893

Thanks Bob

Yes, I followed your example and I have created am xml file that is validated by the xsd file. I guess that's 'objective achieved' :)

This has just been an example to help me get to understand the VS2005 methods.  In the system I aim to develop, the data structure will be more demanding. As I said earlier, and in the previous thread, I aim to handle the transfer of data with code behind windows forms.

Was I being too naive to think that by linking a new xml file to an existing xsd file, that it would automatically pick up the required structure?  It seems a little long-winded to have to manually create the structure (despite the very useful 'intellisense' prompting).

Mill

 

by: TheLearnedOnePosted on 2008-04-01 at 18:30:42ID: 21259486

Mill,

You need to think about a schema from the point of view of validation.  The objective for a schema file is to allow the IDE to validate the entries, and determine what are allowable values.  This also helps with XML file parsing, so that you can look for expected values, and trap for malformed XML.

Bob

 

by: FJRMillPosted on 2008-04-04 at 15:19:03ID: 31444074

Thanks for your help with this Bob ..

I have a long way to go with this little project.  I'd be interested to hear your take on the use of XML to replace the use of a RDMS as a datastore for a small windows app. As I take this forward I'll be looking to figure a way to write select statements on datasets built from the XML document ..

Mill

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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