Hi

 Having an xml file serving as a structure of website forms, how can I parse the XML file using LINQ and create dynamically controls based on the xml element and attribute?

Great question, as has two important parts, what is what you are looking for the LINQ parser or the dynamic control creator?

For linq I just created a post about it http://alpascual.com/blog/al

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t69624-dynamic-creation-of-user-controls.html

Dear Pascual,

 Thanking you for your reply,

I've a xml file which is actually just a model for creating a form which will permit users filling it.

Any change in the xml should change the interface form. The XML file is:

<Discussions>

  <Issue issueID="" composer="" date="">
    <Proposition composer="" date="" level="">
      <Agreement composer="" date="" level=""></Agreement>
      <Disagreement composer="" date="" level=""></Disagreement>
      <Clarificationrequest composer="" date="" level=""></Clarificationrequest>
    </Proposition>
  </Issue>

</Discussions>

I want from this structure, to produce a form with a Label and TextField for letting the user enter information for "Proposition","Agreement" and ... elements, 

and if an element such as "Clarification Request" is removed from xml document, it will be not displayed in the next form.

I think the only way to this, is that I parse the xml file, and create controls dynamically, and as I've also heared to much that LINQ facilitate xml handling, I'm

looking for a solution for creating through LINQ dynamically controls based on the XML file.

 Thanks in advance

Hi margbarje ,

In this scenairo, I think "Linq to xml" will be used for pick out xml nodes and creating xml file.

But "Linq to xml" is not used for creating dynamically controls.

About how to using Linq to xml , you can look at these links:

http://www.asp.net/learn/linq-videos/video-215.aspx

http://www.asp.net/learn/linq-videos/video-217.aspx

About how to creating controls dynamically, see my sample,

   protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        string name = "";
        string type = "";
        string value = "";

        XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
        doc.Load(Server.MapPath("doc.xml"));
        XmlNode node = doc.DocumentElement.SelectSingleNode("Control");

        name = node.Attributes["ControlName"].Value;
        type = node.Attributes["ControlType"].Value;
        value = node.SelectSingleNode("Value").InnerText;
        
        object obj = Assembly.Load("System.Web").CreateInstance("System.Web.UI.WebControls" + "." + type);
        System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebControl target = (System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebControl)obj;
        target.ID = name;
        target.Visible = true;
        System.Web.UI.ITextControl target2 = (System.Web.UI.ITextControl)obj;
        target2.Text = value;


        this.Controls.Add(target);
    }

<Controls>
  <Control ControlName="label1" ControlType="Label">
    <Value>
      this is value
    </Value>
  </Control>
</Controls>

Dear Samu,

 your example doesn't work. I've an FileNotFoundException for the line:

        object obj = Assembly.Load("System.Web").CreateInstance("System.Web.UI.WebControls" + "." + type);

Could not load file or assembly 'System.Web' or one of its dependencies

Are there assemblies to add? 

Dear margbarje ,

To run my sample, you need to copy the file System.Web.dll to Bin folder of your application.