LINQ to XML Events

LINQ to XML events enable you to be notified when an XML tree is altered.

You can add events to an instance of any XObject. The event handler will then receive events for modifications to that XObject and any of its descendants. For example, you can add an event handler to the root of the tree, and handle all modifications to the tree from that event handler.

For examples of LINQ to XML events, see Changing and Changed. 

Types and Events

You use the following types when working with events:

Type	Description
XObjectChange	Specifies the event type when an event is raised for an XObject.
XObjectChangeEventArgs	Provides data for the Changing and Changed events.

The following events are raised when you modify an XML tree:

Event	Description
Changing	Occurs just before this XObject or any of its descendants is going to change.
Changed	Occurs when an XObject has changed or any of its descendants have changed.

Example

Description

Events are useful when you want to maintain some aggregate information in an XML tree. For example, you may want maintain an invoice total that is the sum of the line items of the invoice. This example uses events to maintain the total of all of the child elements under the complex element Items.

Code

XElement root = new XElement("Root",
    new XElement("Total", "0"),
    new XElement("Items")
);
XElement total = root.Element("Total");
XElement items = root.Element("Items");
items.Changed += (object sender, XObjectChangeEventArgs cea) =>
{
    switch (cea.ObjectChange)
    {
        case XObjectChange.Add:
            if (sender is XElement)
                total.Value = ((int)total + (int)(XElement)sender).ToString();
            if (sender is XText)
                total.Value = ((int)total + (int)((XText)sender).Parent).ToString();
            break;
        case XObjectChange.Remove:
            if (sender is XElement)
                total.Value = ((int)total - (int)(XElement)sender).ToString();
            if (sender is XText)
                total.Value = ((int)total - Int32.Parse(((XText)sender).Value)).ToString();
            break;
    }
    Console.WriteLine("Changed {0} {1}",
      sender.GetType().ToString(), cea.ObjectChange.ToString());
};
items.SetElementValue("Item1", 25);
items.SetElementValue("Item2", 50);
items.SetElementValue("Item2", 75);
items.SetElementValue("Item3", 133);
items.SetElementValue("Item1", null);
items.SetElementValue("Item4", 100);
Console.WriteLine("Total:{0}", (int)total);
Console.WriteLine(root);

Module Module1
    Dim WithEvents items As XElement = Nothing
    Dim total As XElement = Nothing
    Dim root As XElement = _
            <Root>
                <Total>0</Total>
                <Items></Items>
            </Root>

    Private Sub XObjectChanged( _
            ByVal sender As Object, _
            ByVal cea As XObjectChangeEventArgs) _
            Handles items.Changed
        Select Case cea.ObjectChange
            Case XObjectChange.Add
                If sender.GetType() Is GetType(XElement) Then
                    total.Value = CStr(CInt(total.Value) + _
                            CInt((DirectCast(sender, XElement)).Value))
                End If
                If sender.GetType() Is GetType(XText) Then
                    total.Value = CStr(CInt(total.Value) + _
                            CInt((DirectCast(sender, XText)).Value))
                End If
            Case XObjectChange.Remove
                If sender.GetType() Is GetType(XElement) Then
                    total.Value = CStr(CInt(total.Value) - _
                            CInt((DirectCast(sender, XElement)).Value))
                End If
                If sender.GetType() Is GetType(XText) Then
                    total.Value = CStr(CInt(total.Value) - _
                            CInt((DirectCast(sender, XText)).Value))
                End If
        End Select
        Console.WriteLine("Changed {0} {1}", _
                            sender.GetType().ToString(), _
                            cea.ObjectChange.ToString())
    End Sub

    Sub Main()
        total = root.<Total>(0)
        items = root.<Items>(0)
        items.SetElementValue("Item1", 25)
        items.SetElementValue("Item2", 50)
        items.SetElementValue("Item2", 75)
        items.SetElementValue("Item3", 133)
        items.SetElementValue("Item1", Nothing)
        items.SetElementValue("Item4", 100)
        Console.WriteLine("Total:{0}", CInt(total))
        Console.WriteLine(root)
    End Sub
End Module

Comments

This code produces the following output:

Changed System.Xml.Linq.XElement Add
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XElement Add
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XText Remove
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XText Add
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XElement Add
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XElement Remove
Changed System.Xml.Linq.XElement Add
Total:308
<Root>
  <Total>308</Total>
  <Items>
    <Item2>75</Item2>
    <Item3>133</Item3>
    <Item4>100</Item4>
  </Items>
</Root>

See Also

Concepts

Advanced LINQ to XML Programming

Build Date:

2012-08-02