XmlTextWriter Formatting and PreserveWhiteSp ace

[Riko Eksteen]

Hi

I'm reading an xml file into an XmlDocument, adding some nodes, and writing
it back out. I would like the nodes I add to assume the same level of
indeting as the rest of the document. (I load the document with
PreserveWhiteSp ace = true.)

I thought I could do this by using an XmlTextWriter with Formatting set to
Formatting.Inde nted, but this doesn't work. The Formatting.Inde nted on the
XmlTextWriter only indents my output when I initially load the document with
PreserveWhiteSp ace = false. But that defeats my object, as I get nicely
formatted XML, but without the (nice) extra whitespace I had when I first
loaded the XML file.

Is there any XmlTextWriter class that will indent my XML properly according
to already existing whitespace?

I used the following code:

if (openFileDialog 1.ShowDialog(th is) == DialogResult.OK )
{
xmldoc.Preserve Whitespace = true;
xmldoc.Load(ope nFileDialog1.Fi leName);
StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();
XmlTextWriter writer = new XmlTextWriter(s w);
writer.Formatti ng = Formatting.Inde nted;
xmldoc.Save(wri ter);
writer.Close();
richTextBox1.Te xt = sw.ToString();
}

This only works if I set the PreserveWhiteSp ace property to false before I
load the document. Even if I set preserveWhiteSp ace to false before I call
the Save method, it doesn't work! Any help please?

Riko

[Helena Kupkova, MS]

Hi Riko,

The problem you are running into is that once the XmlTextWriter sees a
whitespace in the element content, it turns off the indentation for that
element and its children. That’s because it makes the element to have a mixed
content and we should not indent it. So nothing gets indented under an
element that has a white space (or text node) child, which happens when you
load with preserveWhitesp ace = true. With preserveWhitesp ace = false
everything should get correctly indented..

-Helena Kupkova, Webdata Team, Microsoft
"Riko Eksteen" wrote:

Hi

I'm reading an xml file into an XmlDocument, adding some nodes, and writing
it back out. I would like the nodes I add to assume the same level of
indeting as the rest of the document. (I load the document with
PreserveWhiteSp ace = true.)

I thought I could do this by using an XmlTextWriter with Formatting set to
Formatting.Inde nted, but this doesn't work. The Formatting.Inde nted on the
XmlTextWriter only indents my output when I initially load the document with
PreserveWhiteSp ace = false. But that defeats my object, as I get nicely
formatted XML, but without the (nice) extra whitespace I had when I first
loaded the XML file.

Is there any XmlTextWriter class that will indent my XML properly according
to already existing whitespace?

I used the following code:

if (openFileDialog 1.ShowDialog(th is) == DialogResult.OK )
{
xmldoc.Preserve Whitespace = true;
xmldoc.Load(ope nFileDialog1.Fi leName);
StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();
XmlTextWriter writer = new XmlTextWriter(s w);
writer.Formatti ng = Formatting.Inde nted;
xmldoc.Save(wri ter);
writer.Close();
richTextBox1.Te xt = sw.ToString();
}

This only works if I set the PreserveWhiteSp ace property to false before I
load the document. Even if I set preserveWhiteSp ace to false before I call
the Save method, it doesn't work! Any help please?

Riko