XML with C# or ASP: XML Confused!!!!

[hodgesp]

I am VERY New To XML and I am having a heap of trouble writing an application that will allow for the creation, modification and final output in a specific format via C# and asp .net.

I am sure I will ask several questions before I'm done but here is my first:

Basically I have a WEB application that I would like to be used to create an XML file (because of the structure of an XML file) to organize a cost estimator segregated by different cost sections. Most of the Sections will be exactly the same so if I can get one page to work I think can pretty much copy, paste and modifiy after that.

I have the code to generate the file and the initial tags. I can add tags to it from different pages no problem.

The Problem, begins when I come to a section where there may be a dynamic number of cost records and their corresponding descriptions segregated within a specific section.

I want to be able to add individual costs via a data grid, then once added, display them within the same datagrid. But how can I initially bind to data that doen't exist? I can create the tags with the attributes I need as well as the inner text like so:
[HTML]
<Section2>
<text>Main text area that each section will have. even with no cost tags</text>
<cost value="100.00>this is a cost description</cost>
<cost value=45.89">this is another cost description</cost>
etc......
</Section2>
[/HTML]
How can I display the value attribute of each cost tag and the inner text within a datagrid within each section as I create them.

Here is the code I use to create the main text tag:

XmlTextReader reader = new XmlTextReader(fileName);
XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument(); 
doc.Load(reader);
reader.Close();
XmlElement root = doc.DocumentElement;
XmlElement s1 = doc.CreateElement("Section2");             
s1.InnerXml =  "<text>" + this.TextBox1.Text + "</text>".Trim() ;
root.AppendChild(s1);
doc.Save(fileName);                
bindGrid() //--the function that binds the data to the grid
 

this is the code I use to add values to the xml file within the footer of a datagrid that I set up to add records via the ItemCommand event.

XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.Load(fileName);
XmlNode s2 = doc.SelectSingleNode("/Root/Section2");
XmlElement cost = null;
XmlAttribute valattrib = null;
//Create New cost XML Element 
cost = doc.CreateElement("cost");
//New Attribute 
valattrib = doc.CreateAttribute("value");
// Value given for the new attribute
TextBox tbCostAdd = new TextBox();
tbCostAdd = (TextBox)e.Item.FindControl("tbCostAdd");
valattrib.Value = tbCostAdd.Text;
//Attach the attribute to the XML element
cost.SetAttributeNode(valattrib);
//Value given for the cost element
TextBox tbDescrAdd = new TextBox();
tbDescrAdd = (TextBox)e.Item.FindControl("tbDescrAdd");
cost.InnerText = tbDescrAdd.Text;
s2.AppendChild(cost);
doc.Save(fileName);
bindGrid();
 
//my bind function
private void  bindGrid()
{    
  DataSet ds = new DataSet();           
  ds.ReadXml(fileName); //--read the xml file--//             
  DataGrid1.DataSource = ds;            
  DataGrid1.DataBind();    
}
 

The code adds the new tags with the attributes and text just fine. How can I display them within the datagrid as I add them?

I have looked all over the place for code example but none I found quite answer my question. Maybe I need to change how I creating the cost tag, but I need to associate a description with each cost so I set an attribute as the cost value and the inner text as the description.

Any helpful hints or advice would be greatly apprciated!

[Dököll]

Sorry you did not get a response...

Perhaps it is more .NET related!

Updated your title also for added hits:-)