How to Efficiently Remove Namespaces from XML Documents Using C#?

Easily clear namespaces in XML documents using C#

In XML processing, namespaces often become a headache, disrupting data like uninvited guests. Removing these redundant namespaces can be cumbersome, but with the power of C# on .NET 3.5 SP1, you can say goodbye to namespaces easily.

To help you implement namespace cleaning of XML documents, we provide a simple and efficient solution. The interface-based RemoveAllNamespaces() function provides a simple and elegant way to remove namespaces from XML documents.

RemoveAllNamespaces() Detailed explanation of functions

The core of the solution is the compact RemoveAllNamespaces() function, which receives an XML document as input and removes all namespaces:

public static string RemoveAllNamespaces(string xmlDocument)
{
    XElement xmlDocumentWithoutNs = RemoveAllNamespaces(XElement.Parse(xmlDocument));

    return xmlDocumentWithoutNs.ToString();
}

The underlying core recursive function RemoveAllNamespaces() handles the heavy lifting:

private static XElement RemoveAllNamespaces(XElement xmlDocument)
{
    if (!xmlDocument.HasElements)
    {
        XElement xElement = new XElement(xmlDocument.Name.LocalName);
        xElement.Value = xmlDocument.Value;

        foreach (XAttribute attribute in xmlDocument.Attributes())
            xElement.Add(attribute);

        return xElement;
    }
    return new XElement(xmlDocument.Name.LocalName, xmlDocument.Elements().Select(el => RemoveAllNamespaces(el)));
}

XML examples and results

To illustrate the power of this solution, let’s look at an XML example containing namespaces:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<ArrayOfInserts xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <insert>
    <offer xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types">0174587</offer>
    <type2 xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types">014717</type2>
    <supplier xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types">019172</supplier>
    <id_frame xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types" />
    <type3 xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types">
      <type2 />
      <main>false</main>
    </type3>
    <status xmlns="http://schema.peters.com/doc_353/1/Types">Some state</status>
  </insert>
</ArrayOfInserts>

After calling the RemoveAllNamespaces() function, the XML document will be converted and all namespaces will be removed:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
<ArrayOfInserts>
  <insert>
    <offer>0174587</offer>
    <type2>014717</type2>
    <supplier>019172</supplier>
    <id_frame />
    <type3>
      <type2 />
      <main>false</main>
    </type3>
    <status>Some state</status>
  </insert>
</ArrayOfInserts>

Summary

Using our RemoveAllNamespaces() solution, you now have a clean and reliable way to remove namespaces from C# XML documents. Whether you're dealing with single elements or complex hierarchies, our code ensures your XML data is namespace-free.

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