XmlNode.SelectSingleNode Method (System.Xml)

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.NET Framework Class Library
XmlNode.SelectSingleNode Method

Selects the first XmlNode that matches the XPath expression.

This member is overloaded. For complete information about this member, including syntax, usage, and examples, click a name in the overload list.

Overload List
  Name Description
Public method SelectSingleNode(String) Selects the first XmlNode that matches the XPath expression.
Public method SelectSingleNode(String, XmlNamespaceManager) Selects the first XmlNode that matches the XPath expression. Any prefixes found in the XPath expression are resolved using the supplied XmlNamespaceManager.
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Remarks

XPath expressions can include namespaces. Namespace resolution is supported using the XmlNamespaceManager. If the XPath expression includes a prefix, the prefix and namespace URI pair must be added to the XmlNamespaceManager.

Note Note

If the XPath expression does not include a prefix, it is assumed that the namespace URI is the empty namespace. If your XML includes a default namespace, you must still add a prefix and namespace URI to the XmlNamespaceManager; otherwise, you will not get any nodes selected. For more information, see Select Nodes Using XPath Navigation.
Examples

The following example returns the first book with the matching author name. The XmlNamespaceManager resolves the default namespace in the XPath expression.

Visual Basic

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml

Public Class Sample

  Public Shared Sub Main()

      Dim doc As XmlDocument = New XmlDocument()
      doc.Load("newbooks.xml")

      'Create an XmlNamespaceManager for resolving namespaces.
      Dim nsmgr As XmlNamespaceManager = New XmlNamespaceManager(doc.NameTable)
      nsmgr.AddNamespace("bk", "urn:newbooks-schema")

      'Select the book written by an author whose last name is Atwood.
      Dim book As XmlNode 
      Dim root As XmlElement = doc.DocumentElement
      book = root.SelectSingleNode("descendant::bk:book[bk:author/bk:last-name='Atwood']", nsmgr)

      Console.WriteLine(book.OuterXml)

  End Sub
End Class
C#

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml;

public class Sample
{
  public static void Main()
  {

      XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
      doc.Load("newbooks.xml");

      // Create an XmlNamespaceManager to resolve the default namespace.
      XmlNamespaceManager nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(doc.NameTable);
      nsmgr.AddNamespace("bk", "urn:newbooks-schema");

      // Select the first book written by an author whose last name is Atwood.
      XmlNode book;
      XmlElement root = doc.DocumentElement;
     book = root.SelectSingleNode("descendant::bk:book[bk:author/bk:last-name='Atwood']", nsmgr);

      Console.WriteLine(book.OuterXml);

  }
}
Visual C++

#using <System.Xml.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml;
int main()
{
   XmlDocument^ doc = gcnew XmlDocument;
   doc->Load( L"newbooks.xml" );

   // Create an XmlNamespaceManager to resolve the default namespace.
   XmlNamespaceManager^ nsmgr = gcnew XmlNamespaceManager( doc->NameTable );
   nsmgr->AddNamespace( L"bk", L"urn:newbooks-schema" );

   // Select the first book written by an author whose last name is Atwood.
   XmlNode^ book;
   XmlElement^ root = doc->DocumentElement;
   book = root->SelectSingleNode( L"descendant::bk:book[bk:author/bk:last-name='Atwood']", nsmgr );
   Console::WriteLine( book->OuterXml );
   return 0;
}

The example uses the file, newbooks.xml, as input.


<?xml version='1.0'?>
<bookstore xmlns="urn:newbooks-schema">
  <book genre="novel" style="hardcover">
    <title>The Handmaid's Tale</title>
    <author>
      <first-name>Margaret</first-name>
      <last-name>Atwood</last-name>
    </author>
    <price>19.95</price>
  </book>
  <book genre="novel" style="other">
    <title>The Poisonwood Bible</title>
    <author>
      <first-name>Barbara</first-name>
      <last-name>Kingsolver</last-name>
    </author>
    <price>11.99</price>
  </book>
</bookstore>
See Also

Reference

XmlNode Class
System.Xml Namespace