Preserving comments with XmlDocument.Load

[LannieK]

I am reading an XML file in using XmlDocument. The XML file may contain comments that I want to capture and deal with. When I look at the nodes that XmlDocument returns, though, there are no XmlComment nodes. I can see how to create comments using the CreateComment method, but how do I preserve them when I read them in?

[Lars Niedziolka]

Hi Lannie, XmlDocument contains all comments if you load an xml document. But the most access functions ignore comments. But following simple code shows message boxes with both comments:

/\*
 <test>
   <!-- super tip -->
   <tip>Close a application with the cross in the right top corner of the window.</tip>
   <!-- stupid tip -->
   <tip>1+2=3</tip>
</test>
\*/
string xmlstring = @**"<test><!-- super tip --><tip>Close a application with the cross in the right top corner of the window.</tip><!-- stupid tip --><tip>1+2=3</tip></test>"**;
XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.LoadXml(xmlstring);
XmlNode node = doc.SelectSingleNode("/test");
for (XmlNode subnode = node.FirstChild; subnode != null; subnode = subnode.NextSibling)
{
   XmlComment comment = subnode as XmlComment;
   if (comment != null)
     MessageBox.Show(comment.Value);
}

That the XmlDocument contains all comments you see if you look at the OuterXml property of the XmlDocument or save the document in a file. The Comment direct before a XmlElement you get with element.PreviousSibling as XmlComment. The Comment direct behind a XmlElement you get with element.NextSibling as XmlComment. Hope it's help Niedzi