How to parse XML using vba
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08-06-2019 - |
Question
I work in VBA, and want to parse a string eg
<PointN xsi:type='typens:PointN'
xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance'
xmlns:xs='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema'>
<X>24.365</X>
<Y>78.63</Y>
</PointN>
and get the X & Y values into two separate integer variables.
I'm a newbie when it comes to XML, since I'm stuck in VB6 and VBA, because of the field I work in.
How do I do this?
Solution
This is a bit of a complicated question, but it seems like the most direct route would be to load the XML document or XML string via MSXML2.DOMDocument which will then allow you to access the XML nodes.
You can find more on MSXML2.DOMDocument at the following sites:
OTHER TIPS
Thanks for the pointers.
I don't know, whether this is the best approach to the problem or not, but here is how I got it to work. I referenced the Microsoft XML, v2.6 dll in my VBA, and then the following code snippet, gives me the required values
Dim objXML As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Set objXML = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
If Not objXML.loadXML(strXML) Then 'strXML is the string with XML'
Err.Raise objXML.parseError.ErrorCode, , objXML.parseError.reason
End If
Dim point As IXMLDOMNode
Set point = objXML.firstChild
Debug.Print point.selectSingleNode("X").Text
Debug.Print point.selectSingleNode("Y").Text
Add reference Project->References Microsoft XML, 6.0 and you can use example code:
Dim xml As String
xml = "<root><person><name>Me </name> </person> <person> <name>No Name </name></person></root> "
Dim oXml As MSXML2.DOMDocument60
Set oXml = New MSXML2.DOMDocument60
oXml.loadXML xml
Dim oSeqNodes, oSeqNode As IXMLDOMNode
Set oSeqNodes = oXml.selectNodes("//root/person")
If oSeqNodes.length = 0 Then
'show some message
Else
For Each oSeqNode In oSeqNodes
Debug.Print oSeqNode.selectSingleNode("name").Text
Next
End If
be careful with xml node //Root/Person is not same with //root/person, also selectSingleNode("Name").text is not same with selectSingleNode("name").text
You can use a XPath Query:
Dim objDom As Object '// DOMDocument
Dim xmlStr As String, _
xPath As String
xmlStr = _
"<PointN xsi:type='typens:PointN' " & _
"xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' " & _
"xmlns:xs='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema'> " & _
" <X>24.365</X> " & _
" <Y>78.63</Y> " & _
"</PointN>"
Set objDom = CreateObject("Msxml2.DOMDocument.3.0") '// Using MSXML 3.0
'/* Load XML */
objDom.LoadXML xmlStr
'/*
' * XPath Query
' */
'/* Get X */
xPath = "/PointN/X"
Debug.Print objDom.SelectSingleNode(xPath).text
'/* Get Y */
xPath = "/PointN/Y"
Debug.Print objDom.SelectSingleNode(xPath).text
This is an example OPML parser working with FeedDemon opml files:
Sub debugPrintOPML()
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms763720(v=VS.85).aspx
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.xml.xmlnode.selectnodes.aspx
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms256086(v=VS.85).aspx ' expressions
' References: Microsoft XML
Dim xmldoc As New DOMDocument60
Dim oNodeList As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim oNodeList2 As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim curNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim n As Long, n2 As Long, x As Long
Dim strXPathQuery As String
Dim attrLength As Byte
Dim FilePath As String
FilePath = "rss.opml"
xmldoc.Load CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath
strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline"
Set oNodeList = xmldoc.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)
For n = 0 To (oNodeList.length - 1)
Set curNode = oNodeList.Item(n)
attrLength = curNode.Attributes.length
If attrLength > 1 Then ' or 2 or 3
Call processNode(curNode)
Else
Call processNode(curNode)
strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline[position() = " & n + 1 & "]/outline"
Set oNodeList2 = xmldoc.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)
For n2 = 0 To (oNodeList2.length - 1)
Set curNode = oNodeList2.Item(n2)
Call processNode(curNode)
Next
End If
Debug.Print "----------------------"
Next
Set xmldoc = Nothing
End Sub
Sub processNode(curNode As IXMLDOMNode)
Dim sAttrName As String
Dim sAttrValue As String
Dim attrLength As Byte
Dim x As Long
attrLength = curNode.Attributes.length
For x = 0 To (attrLength - 1)
sAttrName = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeName
sAttrValue = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeValue
Debug.Print sAttrName & " = " & sAttrValue
Next
Debug.Print "-----------"
End Sub
This one takes multilevel trees of folders (Awasu, NewzCrawler):
...
Call xmldocOpen4
Call debugPrintOPML4(Null)
...
Dim sText4 As String
Sub debugPrintOPML4(strXPathQuery As Variant)
Dim xmldoc4 As New DOMDocument60
'Dim xmldoc4 As New MSXML2.DOMDocument60 ' ?
Dim oNodeList As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim curNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim n4 As Long
If IsNull(strXPathQuery) Then strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline"
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms754585(v=VS.85).aspx
xmldoc4.async = False
xmldoc4.loadXML sText4
If (xmldoc4.parseError.errorCode <> 0) Then
Dim myErr
Set myErr = xmldoc4.parseError
MsgBox ("You have error " & myErr.reason)
Else
' MsgBox xmldoc4.xml
End If
Set oNodeList = xmldoc4.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)
For n4 = 0 To (oNodeList.length - 1)
Set curNode = oNodeList.Item(n4)
Call processNode4(strXPathQuery, curNode, n4)
Next
Set xmldoc4 = Nothing
End Sub
Sub processNode4(strXPathQuery As Variant, curNode As IXMLDOMNode, n4 As Long)
Dim sAttrName As String
Dim sAttrValue As String
Dim x As Long
For x = 0 To (curNode.Attributes.length - 1)
sAttrName = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeName
sAttrValue = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeValue
'If sAttrName = "text"
Debug.Print strXPathQuery & " :: " & sAttrName & " = " & sAttrValue
'End If
Next
Debug.Print ""
If curNode.childNodes.length > 0 Then
Call debugPrintOPML4(strXPathQuery & "[position() = " & n4 + 1 & "]/" & curNode.nodeName)
End If
End Sub
Sub xmldocOpen4()
Dim oFSO As New FileSystemObject ' Microsoft Scripting Runtime Reference
Dim oFS
Dim FilePath As String
FilePath = "rss_awasu.opml"
Set oFS = oFSO.OpenTextFile(CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath)
sText4 = oFS.ReadAll
oFS.Close
End Sub
or better:
Sub xmldocOpen4()
Dim FilePath As String
FilePath = "rss.opml"
' function ConvertUTF8File(sUTF8File):
' http://www.vbmonster.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/vb/24947/How-to-read-UTF-8-chars-using-VBA
' loading and conversion from Utf-8 to UTF
sText8 = ConvertUTF8File(CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath)
End Sub
but I don't understand, why xmldoc4 should be loaded each time.
Here is a short sub to parse a MicroStation Triforma XML file that contains data for structural steel shapes.
'location of triforma structural files
'c:\programdata\bentley\workspace\triforma\tf_imperial\data\us.xml
Sub ReadTriformaImperialData()
Dim txtFileName As String
Dim txtFileLine As String
Dim txtFileNumber As Long
Dim Shape As String
Shape = "w12x40"
txtFileNumber = FreeFile
txtFileName = "c:\programdata\bentley\workspace\triforma\tf_imperial\data\us.xml"
Open txtFileName For Input As #txtFileNumber
Do While Not EOF(txtFileNumber)
Line Input #txtFileNumber, txtFileLine
If InStr(1, UCase(txtFileLine), UCase(Shape)) Then
P1 = InStr(1, UCase(txtFileLine), "D=")
D = Val(Mid(txtFileLine, P1 + 3))
P2 = InStr(1, UCase(txtFileLine), "TW=")
TW = Val(Mid(txtFileLine, P2 + 4))
P3 = InStr(1, UCase(txtFileLine), "WIDTH=")
W = Val(Mid(txtFileLine, P3 + 7))
P4 = InStr(1, UCase(txtFileLine), "TF=")
TF = Val(Mid(txtFileLine, P4 + 4))
Close txtFileNumber
Exit Do
End If
Loop
End Sub
From here you can use the values to draw the shape in MicroStation 2d or do it in 3d and extrude it to a solid.
Update
The procedure presented below gives an example of parsing XML with VBA using the XML DOM objects. Code is based on a beginners guide of the XML DOM.
Public Sub LoadDocument()
Dim xDoc As MSXML.DOMDocument
Set xDoc = New MSXML.DOMDocument
xDoc.validateOnParse = False
If xDoc.Load("C:\My Documents\sample.xml") Then
' The document loaded successfully.
' Now do something intersting.
DisplayNode xDoc.childNodes, 0
Else
' The document failed to load.
' See the previous listing for error information.
End If
End Sub
Public Sub DisplayNode(ByRef Nodes As MSXML.IXMLDOMNodeList, _
ByVal Indent As Integer)
Dim xNode As MSXML.IXMLDOMNode
Indent = Indent + 2
For Each xNode In Nodes
If xNode.nodeType = NODE_TEXT Then
Debug.Print Space$(Indent) & xNode.parentNode.nodeName & _
":" & xNode.nodeValue
End If
If xNode.hasChildNodes Then
DisplayNode xNode.childNodes, Indent
End If
Next xNode
End Sub
Nota Bene - This initial answer shows the simplest possible thing I could imagine (at the time I was working on a very specific issue) . Naturally using the XML facilities built into the VBA XML Dom would be much better. See the updates above.
Original Response
I know this is a very old post but I wanted to share my simple solution to this complicated question. Primarily I've used basic string functions to access the xml data.
This assumes you have some xml data (in the temp variable) that has been returned within a VBA function. Interestingly enough one can also see how I am linking to an xml web service to retrieve the value. The function shown in the image also takes a lookup value because this Excel VBA function can be accessed from within a cell using = FunctionName(value1, value2) to return values via the web service into a spreadsheet.
openTag = "<" & tagValue & ">"
closeTag = "< /" & tagValue & ">"
' Locate the position of the enclosing tags
startPos = InStr(1, temp, openTag)
endPos = InStr(1, temp, closeTag)
startTagPos = InStr(startPos, temp, ">") + 1
' Parse xml for returned value
Data = Mid(temp, startTagPos, endPos - startTagPos)
Often it is easier to parse without VBA, when you don't want to enable macros. This can be done with the replace function. Enter your start and end nodes into cells B1 and C1.
Cell A1: {your XML here}
Cell B1: <X>
Cell C1: </X>
Cell D1: =REPLACE(A1,1,FIND(A2,A1)+LEN(A2)-1,"")
Cell E1: =REPLACE(A4,FIND(A3,A4),LEN(A4)-FIND(A3,A4)+1,"")
And the result line E1 will have your parsed value:
Cell A1: {your XML here}
Cell B1: <X>
Cell C1: </X>
Cell D1: 24.365<X><Y>78.68</Y></PointN>
Cell E1: 24.365