WHY!!!???!!!???!!!???
Why the FUCK are the simplest tasks in Visual Studio so OVERLY COMPLEX!!!???!!! Personally, I think this is Microsoft's way of telling developers "...we know more than you do!!!!!"
Kiss my shiny metal ass Mircosoft!!!!!
So, the problem!
You have XML data, in an XML field of a SQL database. You want to display this data WITHOUT processing it, formatting it, dealing with it in code. Ya just want to see RAW XML!! Just as if you double-clicked an XML file on your desktop.
Simple? FUCK NO!!!! I hate you Microsoft!!!!!!!!!!! and !
Here's what you gots ta do!
STEP 1 - Unplug your brain to prevent stress explosion!
STEP 2 - Create a new XSLT document in your project and paste in the following code
#### START ####
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
IE5 default style sheet, provides a view of any XML document
and provides the following features:
- auto-indenting of the display, expanding of entity references
- click or tab/return to expand/collapse
- color coding of markup
- color coding of recognized namespaces - xml, xmlns, xsl, dt
This style sheet is available in IE5 in a compact form at the URL
"res://msxml.dll/DEFAULTSS.xsl". This version differs only in the
addition of comments and whitespace for readability.
Author: Jonathan Marsh (jmarsh@microsoft.com)
Modified: 05/21/2001 by Nate Austin (naustin@idsgrp.com)
Converted to use XSLT rather than WD-xsl
-->
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
xmlns:dt="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:datatypes"
xmlns:d2="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882">
<xsl:template match="/">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<STYLE>
BODY {font:x-small 'Verdana'; margin-right:1.5em}
<!-- container for expanding/collapsing content -->
.c {cursor:hand}
<!-- button - contains +/-/nbsp -->
.b {color:red; font-family:'Courier New'; font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none}
<!-- element container -->
.e {margin-left:1em; text-indent:-1em; margin-right:1em}
<!-- comment or cdata -->
.k {margin-left:1em; text-indent:-1em; margin-right:1em}
<!-- tag -->
.t {color:#990000}
<!-- tag in xsl namespace -->
.xt {color:#990099}
<!-- attribute in xml or xmlns namespace -->
.ns {color:red}
<!-- attribute in dt namespace -->
.dt {color:green}
<!-- markup characters -->
.m {color:blue}
<!-- text node -->
.tx {font-weight:bold}
<!-- multi-line (block) cdata -->
.db {text-indent:0px; margin-left:1em; margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-left:.3em; border-left:1px solid #CCCCCC; font:small Courier}
<!-- single-line (inline) cdata -->
.di {font:small Courier}
<!-- DOCTYPE declaration -->
.d {color:blue}
<!-- pi -->
.pi {color:blue}
<!-- multi-line (block) comment -->
.cb {text-indent:0px; margin-left:1em; margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-left:.3em; font:small Courier; color:#888888}
<!-- single-line (inline) comment -->
.ci {font:small Courier; color:#888888}
PRE {margin:0px; display:inline}
</STYLE>
<SCRIPT><xsl:comment><![CDATA[
// Detect and switch the display of CDATA and comments from aninline view
// to a block view if the comment or CDATA is multi-line.
function f(e)
{
// if this element is an inline comment, and contains more than a single
// line, turn it into a block comment.
if (e.className == "ci") {
if (e.children(0).innerText.indexOf("\n") > 0)
fix(e, "cb");
}
// if this element is an inline cdata, and contains more than a single
// line, turn it into a block cdata.
if (e.className == "di") {
if (e.children(0).innerText.indexOf("\n") > 0)
fix(e, "db");
}
// remove the id since we only used it for cleanup
e.id = "";
}
// Fix up the element as a "block" display and enable expand/collapse on it
function fix(e, cl)
{
// change the class name and display value
e.className = cl;
e.style.display = "block";
// mark the comment or cdata display as a expandable container
j = e.parentElement.children(0);
j.className = "c";
// find the +/- symbol and make it visible - the dummy link enables tabbing
k = j.children(0);
k.style.visibility = "visible";
k.href = "#";
}
// Change the +/- symbol and hide the children. This function works on "element"
// displays
function ch(e)
{
// find the +/- symbol
mark = e.children(0).children(0);
// if it is already collapsed, expand it by showing the children
if (mark.innerText == "+")
{
mark.innerText = "-";
for (var i = 1; i < e.children.length; i++)
e.children(i).style.display = "block";
}
// if it is expanded, collapse it by hiding the children
else if (mark.innerText == "-")
{
mark.innerText = "+";
for (var i = 1; i < e.children.length; i++)
e.children(i).style.display="none";
}
}
// Change the +/- symbol and hide the children. This function work on "comment"
// and "cdata" displays
function ch2(e)
{
// find the +/- symbol, and the "PRE" element that contains the content
mark = e.children(0).children(0);
contents = e.children(1);
// if it is already collapsed, expand it by showing the children
if (mark.innerText == "+")
{
mark.innerText = "-";
// restore the correct "block"/"inline" display type to the PRE
if (contents.className == "db" || contents.className == "cb")
contents.style.display = "block";
else contents.style.display = "inline";
}
// if it is expanded, collapse it by hiding the children
else if (mark.innerText == "-")
{
mark.innerText = "+";
contents.style.display = "none";
}
}
// Handle a mouse click
function cl()
{
e = window.event.srcElement;
// make sure we are handling clicks upon expandable container elements
if (e.className != "c")
{
e = e.parentElement;
if (e.className != "c")
{
return;
}
}
e = e.parentElement;
// call the correct funtion to change the collapse/expand state and display
if (e.className == "e")
ch(e);
if (e.className == "k")
ch2(e);
}
// Dummy function for expand/collapse link navigation - trap onclick events instead
function ex()
{}
// Erase bogus link info from the status window
function h()
{
window.status=" ";
}
// Set the onclick handler
document.onclick = cl;
]]></xsl:comment></SCRIPT>
</HEAD>
<BODY class="st"><xsl:apply-templates/></BODY>
</HTML>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Templates for each node type follows. The output of
each template has a similar structure to enable script to
walk the result tree easily for handling user
interaction. -->
<!-- Template for the DOCTYPE declaration. No way to get
the DOCTYPE, so we just put in a placeholder -->
<!-- no support for doctypes
<xsl:template match="node()[nodeType()=10]">
<DIV class="e"><SPAN>
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="d"><!DOCTYPE <xsl:value-of
select="name()"/><I> (View
Source for full doctype...)</I>></SPAN>
</SPAN></DIV>
</xsl:template>
-->
<!-- Template for pis not handled elsewhere -->
<xsl:template match="processing-instruction()">
<DIV class="e">
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"><?</SPAN><SPAN class="pi"><xsl:value-of
select="name()"/> <xsl:value-of select="."/></SPAN><SPAN
class="m">?></SPAN>
</DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Template for the XML declaration. Need a separate template because the
pseudo-attributes
are actually exposed as attributes instead of just element content, as
in other pis -->
<!-- No support for the xml declaration
<xsl:template match="pi('xml')">
<DIV class="e">
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"><?</SPAN><SPAN class="pi">xml
<xsl:for-each
select="@*"><xsl:value-of select="name()"/>="<xsl:value-of select="."/>"
</xsl:for-each></SPAN><SPAN class="m">?></SPAN>
</DIV>
</xsl:template>
-->
<!-- Template for attributes not handled elsewhere -->
<xsl:template match="@*" xml:space="preserve"><SPAN><xsl:attribute
name="class"><xsl:if
test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:value-of
select="name()" /></SPAN><SPAN class="m">="</SPAN>
<B><xsl:value-of
select="."/></B><SPAN class="m">"</SPAN></xsl:template>
<!-- Template for attributes in the xmlns or xml namespace -->
<!-- UNKNOWN
<xsl:template match="@xmlns:*|@xmlns|@xml:*"><SPAN
class="ns"> <xsl:value-of
select="name()"/></SPAN><SPAN class="m">="</SPAN>
<B class="ns"><xsl:value-of
select="."/></B><SPAN class="m">"</SPAN></xsl:template>
-->
<!-- Template for attributes in the dt namespace -->
<!-- UNKNOWN
<xsl:template match="@dt:*|@d2:*"><SPAN
class="dt"> <xsl:value-of
select="name()"/></SPAN><SPAN class="m">="</SPAN><B
class="dt"><xsl:value-of
select="."/></B><SPAN class="m">"</SPAN></xsl:template>
-->
<!-- Template for text nodes -->
<xsl:template match="text()">
<DIV class="e">
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="tx"><xsl:value-of select="."/></SPAN>
</DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Note that in the following templates for comments
and cdata, by default we apply a style appropriate for
single line content (e.g. non-expandable, single line
display). But we also inject the attribute 'id="clean"' and
a script call 'f(clean)'. As the output is read by the
browser, it executes the function immediately. The function
checks to see if the comment or cdata has multi-line data,
in which case it changes the style to a expandable,
multi-line display. Performing this switch in the DHTML
instead of from script in the XSL increases the performance
of the style sheet, especially in the browser's asynchronous
case -->
<!-- Template for comment nodes -->
<xsl:template match="comment()">
<DIV class="k">
<SPAN><A class="b" onclick="return false" onfocus="h()"
STYLE="visibility:hidden">-</A> <SPAN class="m">
<!--</SPAN></SPAN>
<SPAN id="clean" class="ci"><PRE>
<xsl:value-of select="."/></PRE></SPAN>
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN> <SPAN
class="m">--></SPAN>
<SCRIPT>f(clean);</SCRIPT></DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Template for cdata nodes -->
<!-- UNSUPPORTED
<xsl:template match="cdata()">
<DIV class="k">
<SPAN><A class="b" onclick="return false" onfocus="h()"
STYLE="visibility:hidden">-</A> <SPAN class="m">
<![CDATA[</SPAN></SPAN>
<SPAN id="clean" class="di"><PRE><xsl:value-of
select="."/></PRE></SPAN>
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN> <SPAN
class="m">]]></SPAN>
<SCRIPT>f(clean);</SCRIPT></DIV>
</xsl:template>
-->
<!-- Note the following templates for elements may
examine children. This harms to some extent the ability to
process a document asynchronously - we can't process an
element until we have read and examined at least some of its
children. Specifically, the first element child must be
read before any template can be chosen. And any element
that does not have element children must be read completely
before the correct template can be chosen. This seems an
acceptable performance loss in the light of the formatting
possibilities available when examining children. -->
<!-- Template for elements not handled elsewhere (leaf nodes) -->
<xsl:template match="*">
<DIV class="e">
<DIV STYLE="margin-left:1em;text-indent:-2em">
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"><</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class"><xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute><xsl:value-of select="name()"/></SPAN>
<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
<SPAN class="m">/></SPAN>
</DIV>
</DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Template for elements with comment, pi and/or cdata children -->
<xsl:template match="*[comment() | processing-instruction()]">
<DIV class="e">
<DIV class="c">
<A href="#" onclick="return false" onfocus="h()" class="b">-</A>
<SPAN class="m"><</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class"><xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute><xsl:value-of select="name()"/></SPAN>
<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
</DIV>
<DIV>
<xsl:apply-templates/>
<DIV>
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"></</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class"><xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute><xsl:value-of select="name()"/></SPAN>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
</DIV>
</DIV></DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Template for elements with only text children -->
<xsl:template match="*[text() and not(comment() |
processing-instruction())]">
<DIV class="e"><DIV STYLE="margin-left:1em;text-indent:-2em">
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"><</SPAN><SPAN>
<xsl:attribute name="class">
<xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:value-of select="name()"/></SPAN>
<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
<SPAN class="tx">
<xsl:value-of select="."/></SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"></</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class"><xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:value-of select="name()"/></SPAN>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
</DIV></DIV>
</xsl:template>
<!-- Template for elements with element children -->
<xsl:template match="*[*]">
<DIV class="e">
<DIV class="c" STYLE="margin-left:1em;text-indent:-2em">
<A href="#" onclick="return false" onfocus="h()" class="b">-</A>
<SPAN class="m"><</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class">
<xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
</SPAN>
<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
</DIV>
<DIV><xsl:apply-templates/>
<DIV>
<SPAN class="b"> </SPAN>
<SPAN class="m"></</SPAN>
<SPAN><xsl:attribute name="class">
<xsl:if test="starts-with(name(),'xsl:')">x</xsl:if>t</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
</SPAN>
<SPAN class="m">></SPAN>
</DIV>
</DIV></DIV>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
#### END ####
So copy-n-paste that into this new file. I called this file defaultss.xslt in this example!
This (apparently) is a copy of the XSLT file IE uses when you open a XML document using IE. Funny Enough!
STEP 3 - Create a new WebForm and add an XML server control
<
asp:Xml ID="xml1" runat="server" />
STEP 4 - In the page code behind, add the following:
Protected
Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
'I use my own DataAccessLayer to get a dataset object, containing the field I need
Dim MyDS As DataSet = ExecuteDataset(conn, sql)
Dim tmp As String = MyDS.Tables(0).Rows(0).Item("Raw_XML_Data").ToString
xml1.TransformSource =
"defaultss.xslt"
xml1.DocumentContent = tmp.ToString
End Sub
Your done!!!
Loaded the page in the browser and SHAZAM!!! Perfectly formatted RAW XML data as retrieved from an SQL2005 database!
Hope you didn't spend hours trying to work this one out! I sure as hell did!!!!
Later