Chapter 13: XML

Overview

Though you're covering XML last of the four most common .NET Framework class library input/output (I/O) mechanisms, it's hardly the least important. In fact, much of the underlying architecture of .NET relies on XML, so much so that the .NET Framework class library provides a plethora of ways of working with XML. This chapter covers some of the more common classes.

A major goal of the .NET Framework class library is to simplify XML development. It has done this. But if you come from a background of implementing XML in the worlds of Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML) or Java, what you've already learned isn't lost. In fact, you'll find many similarities between these implementations and the one provided by the .NET Framework class library.

This chapter isn't intended to provide details about XML, though to provide a level playing field I do include some high-level coverage. Instead, the goal is to show you how to implement the many facets of XML development provided by the .NET Framework class library. In particular, you'll learn how to read, write, update, and navigate an XML file. After you've covered the common areas of XML that you'll more than likely develop code for, you'll move on and look at using XML with ADO.NET.