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Solved
Replacing special XML characters in vb.net
Posted on 2011-09-07
I've got a website where a user needs to print details from a customer info screen onto an envelope to be mailed to said customer.
I have an xml template doc that is on the server and a function that pulls info from the customer form and makes strings (name and address strings) and places those into the template. When the button is clicked to generate it opens an instance of MS Word on their local machine and allows them to print the envelope with all the details entered for them.
The only issue now is when you have an address or company name with a "&" in it the function crashes out as the "&" is a special character in XML. What's the best way to compare the string and replace the "&"? I'll give the code example below:
Public Shared Function CreateEnvelopeForPrint(ByV
Dim Addr1 As String = ""
Dim Addr2 As String = ""
Dim Addr3 As String = ""
Dim Addr4 As String = ""
Dim Addr5 As String = ""
With LicenceFormParam
''Creating the strings to hold the customer's names and addresses
Dim PrimaryOwner As String = .PrimaryFirstName + " " + .PrimaryLastName
Dim SecondaryOwner As String = .SecondaryFirstName + " " + .SecondaryLastName
' Build line that contains place, province/state and postal code
Dim PlaceLineStr As String
If .ProvinceCode.Equals("99")
PlaceLineStr = .PlaceName + ", " + .CountryName
Else
PlaceLineStr = .PlaceName + " " + .ProvinceCode + " " + .PostalCode
End If
If (.EnterpriseName <> "") Then
Addr1 = .EnterpriseName
If (.PrimaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr2 = PrimaryOwner
If (.SecondaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr2 = Addr2 + " / " + SecondaryOwner
End If
Else
Addr2 = .AddressLine1
End If
Else
Addr1 = PrimaryOwner
If (.SecondaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr1 = Addr1 + " / " + SecondaryOwner
End If
Addr2 = .AddressLine1
End If
If Addr2 = .AddressLine1 Then
If .AddressLine2 <> "" Then
Addr3 = .AddressLine2
Addr4 = PlaceLineStr
Else
Addr3 = PlaceLineStr
End If
Else
Addr3 = .AddressLine1
If .AddressLine2 <> "" Then
Addr4 = .AddressLine2
Addr5 = PlaceLineStr
Else
Addr4 = PlaceLineStr
End If
End If
End With
'Replace lines $ADDRX$ place holders in template with the appropriate upper case line built above
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
Return TemplateStringParam
End Function
I have an xml template doc that is on the server and a function that pulls info from the customer form and makes strings (name and address strings) and places those into the template. When the button is clicked to generate it opens an instance of MS Word on their local machine and allows them to print the envelope with all the details entered for them.
The only issue now is when you have an address or company name with a "&" in it the function crashes out as the "&" is a special character in XML. What's the best way to compare the string and replace the "&"? I'll give the code example below:
Public Shared Function CreateEnvelopeForPrint(ByV
Dim Addr1 As String = ""
Dim Addr2 As String = ""
Dim Addr3 As String = ""
Dim Addr4 As String = ""
Dim Addr5 As String = ""
With LicenceFormParam
''Creating the strings to hold the customer's names and addresses
Dim PrimaryOwner As String = .PrimaryFirstName + " " + .PrimaryLastName
Dim SecondaryOwner As String = .SecondaryFirstName + " " + .SecondaryLastName
' Build line that contains place, province/state and postal code
Dim PlaceLineStr As String
If .ProvinceCode.Equals("99")
PlaceLineStr = .PlaceName + ", " + .CountryName
Else
PlaceLineStr = .PlaceName + " " + .ProvinceCode + " " + .PostalCode
End If
If (.EnterpriseName <> "") Then
Addr1 = .EnterpriseName
If (.PrimaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr2 = PrimaryOwner
If (.SecondaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr2 = Addr2 + " / " + SecondaryOwner
End If
Else
Addr2 = .AddressLine1
End If
Else
Addr1 = PrimaryOwner
If (.SecondaryLastName <> "") Then
Addr1 = Addr1 + " / " + SecondaryOwner
End If
Addr2 = .AddressLine1
End If
If Addr2 = .AddressLine1 Then
If .AddressLine2 <> "" Then
Addr3 = .AddressLine2
Addr4 = PlaceLineStr
Else
Addr3 = PlaceLineStr
End If
Else
Addr3 = .AddressLine1
If .AddressLine2 <> "" Then
Addr4 = .AddressLine2
Addr5 = PlaceLineStr
Else
Addr4 = PlaceLineStr
End If
End If
End With
'Replace lines $ADDRX$ place holders in template with the appropriate upper case line built above
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
Return TemplateStringParam
End Function
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13 Comments
Replace & with &
Refer: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316063
Refer: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316063
It still crashes out using the replace string. I declared a new variable
Dim replaceChar1 As String = "&"
Then after I build the address string i use this:
Dim Addr1_replace As String = Addr1.Replace("&", replaceChar1)
Then
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
then I return the templatestring param to be written and when word opens I still get the error stating the file cant be opened as their is problems with the template
Dim replaceChar1 As String = "&"
Then after I build the address string i use this:
Dim Addr1_replace As String = Addr1.Replace("&", replaceChar1)
Then
TemplateStringParam = TemplateStringParam.Replac
then I return the templatestring param to be written and when word opens I still get the error stating the file cant be opened as their is problems with the template
You mean this?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<?mso-application progid="Word.Document"?>
<pkg:package xmlns:pkg="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/xmlPackage"><pkg:part pkg:name="/_rels/.rels" pkg:contentType="applicati
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<?mso-application progid="Word.Document"?>
<pkg:package xmlns:pkg="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/xmlPackage"><pkg:part pkg:name="/_rels/.rels" pkg:contentType="applicati
That's it. When I paste that lot into a text file, save as XML then open in Visual Studio, I get this error:
File Load
Some bytes have been replaced with the Unicode substitution character while loading file C:\.....Test.XML with Unicode (UTF-8) encoding. Saving the file will not preserve the original file contents
This means you are writing unicode UTF8 characters in the XML file but not declaring it as a UTF8 encoded document, and perhaps not saving as one either.
File Load
Some bytes have been replaced with the Unicode substitution character while loading file C:\.....Test.XML with Unicode (UTF-8) encoding. Saving the file will not preserve the original file contents
This means you are writing unicode UTF8 characters in the XML file but not declaring it as a UTF8 encoded document, and perhaps not saving as one either.
Further to that, if I press Save in Visual Studio, the file then opens perfectly in Word, so it must be an other unicode character that's causing the problem, or is your ASP.NET page not a unicode page itself?
Ok so when i actually call the function and write to the template I should specify a charset of utf-8?
Here is an example of where the function is called for a click even to print the envelope
Protected Sub btnPrintAddy_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnPrintAddy.Click
Dim ResponseFileText As String
' Populate mLicenceForm for passing to utility method
GetDataFromControls()
' Fetch envelope template from cache
ResponseFileText = Context.Cache.Get("envelop
'Send Response
Response.ClearContent()
Response.ClearHeaders()
Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.ms-word"
Response.AddHeader("conten
Response.Write(PclUtility.
Response.Flush()
Response.End()
End Sub
Should I have the response.charset set to utf-8?
Protected Sub btnPrintAddy_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnPrintAddy.Click
Dim ResponseFileText As String
' Populate mLicenceForm for passing to utility method
GetDataFromControls()
' Fetch envelope template from cache
ResponseFileText = Context.Cache.Get("envelop
'Send Response
Response.ClearContent()
Response.ClearHeaders()
Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.ms-word"
Response.AddHeader("conten
Response.Write(PclUtility.
Response.Flush()
Response.End()
End Sub
Should I have the response.charset set to utf-8?
>> Should I have the response.charset set to utf-8?
Yes that would certainly help. Its because some of your characters used aren't part of the current character set, so the XML parse fails. So if you specific UTF8 and save as UTF8 then the characters will be perfectly readable.
Yes that would certainly help. Its because some of your characters used aren't part of the current character set, so the XML parse fails. So if you specific UTF8 and save as UTF8 then the characters will be perfectly readable.
I specified the charset to utf-8 and still no luck. The webform the function pulls its data from to build the strings is unicode, and .xml template i'm manipulating is automatically utf8 so I'm at a lost where it's going wrong
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