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How to find a child element (LINQ to XML)

This article compares the XPath child element axis to the LINQ to XML Element method.

Example: Find a child element in an XML document

This example finds the child element DeliveryNotes in XML document Sample XML file: Multiple purchase orders.

The XPath expression is DeliveryNotes.

XDocument cpo = XDocument.Load("PurchaseOrders.xml");
XElement po = cpo.Root.Element("PurchaseOrder");

// LINQ to XML query
XElement el1 = po.Element("DeliveryNotes");

// XPath expression
XElement el2 = po.XPathSelectElement("DeliveryNotes");
// same as "child::DeliveryNotes"
// same as "./DeliveryNotes"

if (el1 == el2)
    Console.WriteLine("Results are identical");
else
    Console.WriteLine("Results differ");
Console.WriteLine(el1);

Dim cpo As XDocument = XDocument.Load("PurchaseOrders.xml")
Dim po As XElement = cpo.Root.<PurchaseOrder>.FirstOrDefault

'LINQ to XML query
Dim el1 As XElement = po.<DeliveryNotes>.FirstOrDefault

' XPath expression
Dim el2 As XElement = po.XPathSelectElement("DeliveryNotes")
' same as "child::DeliveryNotes"
' same as "./DeliveryNotes"

If el1 Is el2 Then
    Console.WriteLine("Results are identical")
Else
    Console.WriteLine("Results differ")
End If
Console.WriteLine(el1)

This example produces the following output:

Results are identical
<DeliveryNotes>Please leave packages in shed by driveway.</DeliveryNotes>

See also