CustomXmlPartCollection Interface

A collection of custom XML parts in a workbook.

Namespace: DevExpress.Spreadsheet

Assembly: DevExpress.Spreadsheet.v24.2.Core.dll

NuGet Package: DevExpress.Spreadsheet.Core

Declaration

C#

public interface CustomXmlPartCollection :
    OfficeCustomXmlPartCollection<ICustomXmlPart>,
    ISimpleCollection<ICustomXmlPart>,
    IEnumerable<ICustomXmlPart>,
    IEnumerable,
    ICollection

VB.NET

Public Interface CustomXmlPartCollection
    Inherits OfficeCustomXmlPartCollection(Of ICustomXmlPart),
             ISimpleCollection(Of ICustomXmlPart),
             IEnumerable(Of ICustomXmlPart),
             IEnumerable,
             ICollection

Related API Members

The following members return CustomXmlPartCollection objects:

• IWorkbook.CustomXmlParts
• Workbook.CustomXmlParts

Remarks

You can embed arbitrary XML data (called custom XML parts) in a workbook. Custom XML parts are included in the document structure but are not visible in the document.

The image below shows the structure of an XLSX file with three custom XML parts (item1, item2, and item3).

The following spreadsheet file formats support custom XML parts:

• XLSX;
• XLSM;
• XLTX;
• XLTM;
• XLSB;
• XLS;
• XLT.

Use one of the following properties to access a workbook’s collection of custom XML parts (ICustomXmlPart objects):

• Workbook.CustomXmlParts

  Returns the collection of custom XML parts for a non-visual Workbook.

• IWorkbook.CustomXmlParts

  Returns the collection of custom XML parts for the SpreadsheetControl‘s document.

The CustomXmlPartCollection members allow you to insert, obtain, modify, or remove custom XML parts.

Add Custom XML Parts

The example below shows how to use the collection’s Add and Insert methods to add custom XML parts to a Workbook.

View Example

CustomXmlPartActions.cs

using DevExpress.Spreadsheet;
using System.Xml;
// ...

using (Workbook workbook = new Workbook())
{
   workbook.Worksheets[0].Cells["A1"].Value = "This workbook contains custom XML parts.";

   // Add an empty custom XML part.
   ICustomXmlPart xmlItem = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add();
   // Populate the XML part with content.
   XmlElement elem = xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.CreateElement("Person");
   elem.InnerText = "Stephen Edwards";
   xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.AppendChild(elem);

   // Use a string to specify the content for a custom XML part.
   string xmlString = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                           <whitepaper>
                              <contact>
                                 <firstname>Roger</firstname>
                                 <lastname>Edwards</lastname>
                                 <phone>832-433-0025</phone>
                                 <address>1657 Wines Lane Houston, TX 77099</address>
                              </contact>
                              <date>2016-05-18</date>
                           </whitepaper>";
   workbook.CustomXmlParts.Insert(1, xmlString);

   // Add a custom XML part from a file.
   XmlDocument xmlDoc = new XmlDocument();
   xmlDoc.Load("Documents\\fishes.xml");
   workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlDoc);
   workbook.SaveDocument("Documents\\CustomXmlTestDoc.xlsx", DocumentFormat.Xlsx);
}

CustomXmlPartActions.vb

Imports DevExpress.Spreadsheet
Imports System.Xml
' ...

Using workbook As New Workbook()
   workbook.Worksheets(0).Cells("A1").Value = "This workbook contains custom XML parts."

   ' Add an empty custom XML part.
   Dim xmlItem As ICustomXmlPart = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add()
   ' Populate the XML part with content.
   Dim elem As XmlElement = xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.CreateElement("Person")
   elem.InnerText = "Stephen Edwards"
   xmlItem.CustomXmlPartDocument.AppendChild(elem)

   ' Use a string to specify the content for a custom XML part.
   Dim xmlString As String = "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                           <whitepaper>
                              <contact>
                                 <firstname>Roger</firstname>
                                 <lastname>Edwards</lastname>
                                 <phone>832-433-0025</phone>
                                 <address>1657 Wines Lane Houston, TX 77099</address>
                              </contact>
                              <date>2016-05-18</date>
                           </whitepaper>"
   workbook.CustomXmlParts.Insert(1, xmlString)

   ' Add a custom XML part from a file.
   Dim xmlDoc As New XmlDocument()
   xmlDoc.Load("Documents\fishes.xml")
   workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlDoc)
   workbook.SaveDocument("Documents\CustomXmlTestDoc.xlsx", DocumentFormat.Xlsx)
End Using

Access a Custom XML Part

You can use a custom XML part’s index to obtain it from the collection. Use the CustomXmlPartDocument property to access an XML document associated with the ICustomXmlPart object.

View Example

CustomXmlPartActions.cs

using DevExpress.Spreadsheet;
using System.Xml;
// ...

using (Workbook workbook = new Workbook())
{
    // Load a document.
    workbook.LoadDocument("Documents\\CustomXml.xlsx");
    // Access a custom XML file stored in the document.
    XmlDocument xmlDoc = workbook.CustomXmlParts[0].CustomXmlPartDocument;
    // Retrieve a reference to a fish that belongs to a specific category.
    XmlNamespaceManager nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(xmlDoc.NameTable);
    string xPathString = "//Fish[Category='Cod']/ScientificClassification/Reference";
    XmlNode xmlNode = xmlDoc.DocumentElement.SelectSingleNode(xPathString, nsmgr);
    string hLink = xmlNode.InnerText;
    // Display the obtained value in a cell as a hyperlink.
    workbook.Worksheets[0].Hyperlinks.Add(workbook.Worksheets[0].Cells["A2"], hLink, true);
}

CustomXmlPartActions.vb

Imports DevExpress.Spreadsheet
Imports System.Xml
' ...

Using workbook As New Workbook()
    ' Load a document.
    workbook.LoadDocument("Documents\CustomXml.xlsx")
    ' Access a custom XML file stored in the document.
    Dim xmlDoc As XmlDocument = workbook.CustomXmlParts(0).CustomXmlPartDocument
    ' Retrieve a reference to a fish that belongs to a specific category.
    Dim nsmgr As New XmlNamespaceManager(xmlDoc.NameTable)
    Dim xPathString As String = "//Fish[Category='Cod']/ScientificClassification/Reference"
    Dim xmlNode As XmlNode = xmlDoc.DocumentElement.SelectSingleNode(xPathString, nsmgr)
    Dim hLink As String = xmlNode.InnerText
    ' Display the obtained value in a cell as a hyperlink.
    workbook.Worksheets(0).Hyperlinks.Add(workbook.Worksheets(0).Cells("A2"), hLink, True)
End Using

Remove Custom XML Parts

Use one of the following methods to remove custom XML parts from a workbook:

• Remove

• RemoveAt

• Clear

C#

using (Workbook workbook = new Workbook())
{
    workbook.Worksheets[0].Cells["A1"].Value = "This workbook contains custom XML parts.";

    // Add the first custom XML part.
     string xmlString1 = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                            <Employees>
                                <FirstName>Stephen</FirstName>
                                <LastName>Edwards</LastName>
                            </Employees>";
    var xmlItem1 = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString1);

    // Add the second custom XML part.
    string xmlString2 = @"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                            <Employees>
                                <FirstName>Andrew</FirstName>
                                <LastName>Fuller</LastName>
                            </Employees>";
    var xmlItem2 = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString2);

    // Remove the first item from the collection.
    workbook.CustomXmlParts.Remove(xmlItem1);
    // Use the RemoveAt method to remove an item at the specified position from the collection.
    // workbook.CustomXmlParts.RemoveAt(0);
    // Use the Clear method to remove all items from the collection.
    // workbook.CustomXmlParts.Clear();
}

VB.NET

Using workbook As New Workbook()
    workbook.Worksheets(0).Cells("A1").Value = "This workbook contains custom XML parts."

    ' Add the first custom XML part.
     Dim xmlString1 As String = "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                            <Employees>
                                <FirstName>Stephen</FirstName>
                                <LastName>Edwards</LastName>
                            </Employees>"
    Dim xmlItem1 = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString1)

    ' Add the second custom XML part.
    Dim xmlString2 As String = "<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""UTF-8""?>
                            <Employees>
                                <FirstName>Andrew</FirstName>
                                <LastName>Fuller</LastName>
                            </Employees>"
    Dim xmlItem2 = workbook.CustomXmlParts.Add(xmlString2)

    ' Remove the first item from the collection.
    workbook.CustomXmlParts.Remove(xmlItem1)
    ' Use the RemoveAt method to remove an item at the specified position from the collection.
    ' workbook.CustomXmlParts.RemoveAt(0);
    ' Use the Clear method to remove all items from the collection.
    ' workbook.CustomXmlParts.Clear();
End Using