Sometimes you have you add basic data in XML files and add these files to your Windows 8 Store application as a resource. You want to read the contents of the XML file to display these data in application pages. In this article we will create a Windows Store App that will read XML data from an XML file that is added to the application package.
Create a Blank Windows Store App
1. Open Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows 8.
2. Click on New Project. The New Project Dialog box appears.
3. From the left pane select C# and then Windows Store Templates.
4. From the right pane select Blank App (XAML).
5. Type your project name and then click Ok. We set the project name to ReadXmlApp.
Add Xml file and fill it with data
1. Right click on the ReadXmlApp in the Solution Explorer and select Add then New Item. The Add New Item Dialog appears.
2. From the left pane select C# and then Data.
3. From the right pane select XML file and type BasicData.xml in the Name field.
4. Then Click Add button to add the xml file to the project.
5. Add the following xml to the BasicData.xml.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Orders>
<Order>
<OrderId>1001</OrderId>
<OrderTotal>5000</OrderTotal>
<Customer>Muhammad</Customer>
<Phone>0123456789</Phone>
</Order>
<Order>
<OrderId>1011</OrderId>
<OrderTotal>5000</OrderTotal>
<Customer>Jone</Customer>
<Phone>0123466789</Phone>
</Order>
<Order>
<OrderId>1023</OrderId>
<OrderTotal>5000</OrderTotal>
<Customer>Fouad</Customer>
<Phone>01244456789</Phone>
</Order>
<Order>
<OrderId>1034</OrderId>
<OrderTotal>5000</OrderTotal>
<Customer>Ahmad</Customer>
<Phone>0123456781</Phone>
</Order>
</Orders>
Create the UI and adding Xaml Code
1. Open the MainPage.xaml file by double clicking the MainPage.xaml file from the Solution Explorer.
2. Select the XAML view and find the Grid Control in the MainPage.xaml.
3. Add the following code to the Grid in the MainPage.xaml.
<Grid Background="{StaticResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="1*"/>
<RowDefinition Height="8*"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="1*"/>
<ColumnDefinition Width="3*"/>
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<Button Name="LoadXmlButton"Content="Load Xml" FontSize="20" Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1" Click="LoadXmlButton_Click"/>
<TextBlock Name="XmlTextBlock"Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="1"/>
</Grid>
a. The above XAML code creates a Grid control with two columns and two rows.
b. Adds a Button and name it LoadXmlButton, set the LoadXmlButton font size to 20.
c. It places the LoadXmlButton in first row using Grid.Row attached property and second column using Grid.Column attached property.
d. Add a TextBlock control and name it XmlTextBlock.
e. It places the XmlTextBlock in second row using Grid.Row attached property and second column using Grid.Column attached property.
4. Switch to the Design View and you will see something like the following image:
Adding C# Code and reading XML file content
1. Double click the LoadXmlButton, this will create the click event handler for the LoadXmlButton.
2. Add the following using statements to the start of the code behind file
using Windows.Storage;
using Windows.ApplicationModel;
3. Windows.Storage namespace manages files, folders, and application settings.
4. Windows.ApplicationModel namespace provides an app with access to core system functionality and run-time information about its app package.
5. Mark the LoadXmlButton_Click method as asynchronous using the async keyword.
6. Add the following code to the LoadXmlButton_Click method
private async void LoadXmlButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
try
{
StorageFolder storageFolder = Package.Current.InstalledLocation;
StorageFile storageFile = await storageFolder.GetFileAsync("BasicData.xml");
XmlTextBlock.Text = await FileIO.ReadTextAsync(storageFile, Windows.Storage.Streams.UnicodeEncoding.Utf8);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
XmlTextBlock.Text = ex.Message;
}
}
a. The above code creates an object from the StorageFolder class, which manipulates folders and their contents, and provides information about them.
b. Sets the storageFile object to the current installation folder of our application.
c. Creates an object from the StorageFile class, which represents a file. Provides information about the file and its content, and ways to manipulate them.
d. We then get our XML file from the storage folder by calling the asynchronous method GetFileAsync and passing it the file name.
e. We then use the FileIO.ReadTextAsync asynchronous method to read the contents of the file with the UTF-8 encoding and assign the returned text to the Text property of the XmlTextBlock.
f. If there is any exception it will display it in the XmlTextBlock.
7. Build your application and run it in the Simulator. You will find something similar to the following image
8. Click on the Load Xml Button. This will load the XML from the BasicData.xml file and display it on the TextBlock.
I am looking to do an event to raise money for the whistle-blower, patriot, and general all round American hero Bradley Manning (more info on Brad) for some time before Nov 6, preferably well before the elections. I'm on the lookout for a good venue and anyone willing to help Brad out of prison.
Benefactor issues $50K matching grant challenge in support of Bradley
Manning
By the Bradley Manning Support Network. September 26, 2012.
The Darien, Connecticut-based Brightwater Fund - Gloria Jarecki, President -
issued today a matching grant challenge in support of accused WikiLeaks
whistle-blower US Army PFC Bradley Manning. Through November 6, 2012, the
Brightwater Fund will contribute one dollar for every dollar donated to the
Bradley Manning Defense Fund, up to $50,000.
"This grant challenge comes at a critical time in our 27-month-old campaign
to give Bradley Manning every opportunity for justice both inside and
outside of the Fort Meade military court room," notes Jeff Paterson of the
Bradley Manning Support Network. "After endless prosecution delays that long
ago denied Bradley his right to a speedy trial, Bradley's court martial
trial is finally scheduled to begin February 4, 2013."
This Sunday, September 30, fellow whistle-blowers will stage a special
fundraising event for PFC Manning at Georgetown University Law Center,
Washington DC, which will benefit from this matching grant. "Truth on Trial"
will feature former National Security Agency senior executive Thomas Drake,
former Department of Justice ethics adviser Jesselyn Radack, former State
Department diplomat US Army Col. Ann Wright (ret.), and author Chris Hedges
(via Skype). Additionally, fundraising house parties for PFC Manning in
scores of cities in October will be bolstered by the Brightwater Fund's
generosity.
PFC Manning's legal defense team lead by civilian attorney David Coombs is
preparing to argue the defense motion to dismiss all charges due to the
extreme and illegal pre-trial punishment that Manning was subjected to for
nine months at the Marine Brig at Quantico, Virginia. The "Article 13"
motion is scheduled to be heard at Fort Meade, November 27 to December 2.
"Without the continued support of thousands of concerned individuals, there
is simply no way that we can guarantee that Bradley's legal team will have
the resources they need to advance every defense argument," explains
attorney Kevin Zeese of the Bradley Manning Support Network.
The Bradley Manning Defense Fund is responsible for 100% of PFC Manning's
considerable legal expenses and supports a diverse international public
education effort. Hosted by the Oakland, California-based organization
Courage to Resist in collaboration with the Bradley Manning Support Network,
tax-deductible donations to the Defense Fund can be made online at
www.bradleymanning.org/donate
