XDocument vs. XmlDocument: Which XML Manipulation Tool Should I Choose for .NET?

.NET XML processing: xdocument or xmldocument?

XML is a key data format widely used in various fields. When processing XML in .NET, you will encounter two main XML operation APIs: xdocument and xmldocument. Each tool has different advantages and use cases. This article discusses the difference between XDocumence and XmlDocument, and instructs you to choose the most suitable option for specific needs.

XMLDOCUMENT: The traditional DOM API

XMLDOCUMENT is the classic document object model (DOM) in the .NET. It allows you to navigate and modify XML documents with tree structures. If you use .NET 3.0 or earlier, you must use XMLDOCUMENT because other APIs may need to be used. However, in a newer version, XDocument is usually recommended because it is easier to use.

xdocment: Linq to XML and declarative programming

XDocument uses the function of Linq to XML to provide a statement and simple syntax to operate the XML document. Its construction model significantly simplifies the creation and processing of documents. For example, the following code fragment demonstrates the use of XDocument to create XML elements:

The name space in XDocume

<code>XDocument doc = new XDocument(
    new XElement("root",
                 new XAttribute("name", "value"),
                 new XElement("child", "text node")));</code>

It may be troublesome to use other XML API to process naming space. However, Linq to XML uses the Xnamespace class to simplify this task, allowing you to easily add the name space to the XML element:

linq and sequence in xdocume

<code>XNamespace ns = "http://somewhere.com";
XElement element = new XElement(ns + "elementName");</code>

LINQ to XML is seamlessly integrated with linq. You can use sub -element sequences to build elements:

Summary

For XML operations higher than version 3.0, it is highly recommended to use XDOCUMENT, because it is simple, grammatical declaration, and integration with Linq. If you need a stream processing function or must support the old version .Net, XMLDOCUMENT is still an effective option.

<code>// Customers is a List<customer>
XElement customersElement = new XElement("customers",
    customers.Select(c => new XElement("customer",
        new XAttribute("name", c.Name),
        new XAttribute("lastSeen", c.LastOrder),
        new XElement("address",
            new XAttribute("town", c.Town),
            new XAttribute("firstline", c.Address1),
            // etc
    )));</code>

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