How to apply an XSL transformation to an XML document by using Visual C# (307322)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article shows you how to apply an Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) Transformation (XSLT) to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document by using the XslTransform class to create a new XML document. XSL is an XML-based language that is designed to transform one XML document into another XML document or an XML document into any other structured document.

back to the top

Requirements

This list outlines the recommended hardware, software, network infrastructure, and service packs that you need:

• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
• Microsoft .NET SDK Quickstarts

This article assumes that you are familiar with the following topics:

• XML terminology
• Creating and reading an XML file
• XML Path Language (XPath) syntax
• XSL

back to the top

Steps to Build the Sample

This example uses two files named Books.xml and Books.xsl. You can create your own Books.xml and Books.xsl files or use the sample files that are included with the .NET Software Development Kit (SDK) QuickStarts. You must copy the Books.xml and Books.xsl files to the \Bin\Debug folder that is located underneath the folder in which you create this project. These files can be found in the following folder:

1. Create a new C# console application in Visual Studio .NET or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
2. Make sure that the project contains a reference to the System.Xml namespace, and add a reference if it does not.
3. Specify the using statement on the Xml and Xsl namespaces so that you are not required to qualify declarations in those namespaces later in your code. You must use the using statement prior to any other declarations.

   using System.Xml;
   using System.Xml.Xsl;
   					

4. Declare the appropriate variables and declare an XslTransform object to transform XML documents.

   XslTransform myXslTransform;
   					

5. Construct a new XslTransform object. The XslTransform class is an XSLT processor that implements the XSLT version 1.0 recommendation.

   myXslTransform = new XslTransform();
   					

6. Use the Load method to load the XslTransform object with the style sheet. This style sheet transforms the details of the Books.xsl file into a simple ISBN list of books.

   myXslTransform.Load("books.xsl")
   					

7. Call the Transform method to initiate the transformation, passing in the source XML document and the transformed XML document name.

   myXslTransform.Transform("books.xml", "ISBNBookList.xml");
   					

8. Build and run your project. You can find the resultant ISBNBookList.xml file in the \Bin\Debug folder under your project file's folder.

back to the top

Complete Code Sample

using System;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Xsl; 
namespace XSLTransformation
{
    /// Summary description for Class1.
    class Class1
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            XslTransform myXslTransform; 
            myXslTransform = new XslTransform();
            myXslTransform.Load("books.xsl"); 
            myXslTransform.Transform("books.xml", "ISBNBookList.xml"); 

        }
    }
}
				

back to the top