How to: Filter on an Optional Element

Sometimes you want to filter for an element even though you are not sure it exists in your XML document. The search should be executed so that if the particular element does not have the child element, you do not trigger a null reference exception by filtering for it. In the following example, the Child5 element does not have a Type child element, but the query still executes correctly.

Example

This example uses the Elements extension method.

XElement root = XElement.Parse(@"<Root>
  <Child1>
    <Text>Child One Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child1>
  <Child2>
    <Text>Child Two Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child2>
  <Child3>
    <Text>Child Three Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""No""/>
  </Child3>
  <Child4>
    <Text>Child Four Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child4>
  <Child5>
    <Text>Child Five Text</Text>
  </Child5>
</Root>");
var cList =
    from typeElement in root.Elements().Elements("Type")
    where (string)typeElement.Attribute("Value") == "Yes"
    select (string)typeElement.Parent.Element("Text");
foreach(string str in cList)
    Console.WriteLine(str);
Dim root As XElement = _ 
    <Root>
        <Child1>
            <Text>Child One Text</Text>
            <Type Value="Yes"/>
        </Child1>
        <Child2>
            <Text>Child Two Text</Text>
            <Type Value="Yes"/>
        </Child2>
        <Child3>
            <Text>Child Three Text</Text>
            <Type Value="No"/>
        </Child3>
        <Child4>
            <Text>Child Four Text</Text>
            <Type Value="Yes"/>
        </Child4>
        <Child5>
            <Text>Child Five Text</Text>
        </Child5>
    </Root>
Dim cList As IEnumerable(Of String) = _
    From typeElement In root.Elements().<Type> _
    Where typeElement.@Value = "Yes" _
    Select typeElement.Parent.<Text>.Value
Dim str As String
For Each str In cList
    Console.WriteLine(str)
Next

This code produces the following output:

Child One Text
Child Two Text
Child Four Text

The following example shows the same query for XML that is in a namespace. For more information, see Working with XML Namespaces.

XElement root = XElement.Parse(@"<Root xmlns='http://www.adatum.com'>
  <Child1>
    <Text>Child One Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child1>
  <Child2>
    <Text>Child Two Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child2>
  <Child3>
    <Text>Child Three Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""No""/>
  </Child3>
  <Child4>
    <Text>Child Four Text</Text>
    <Type Value=""Yes""/>
  </Child4>
  <Child5>
    <Text>Child Five Text</Text>
  </Child5>
</Root>");
XNamespace ad = "http://www.adatum.com";
var cList =
    from typeElement in root.Elements().Elements(ad + "Type")
    where (string)typeElement.Attribute("Value") == "Yes"
    select (string)typeElement.Parent.Element(ad + "Text");
foreach (string str in cList)
    Console.WriteLine(str);
Imports <xmlns='http://www.adatum.com'>

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim root As XElement = _
            <Root>
                <Child1>
                    <Text>Child One Text</Text>
                    <Type Value="Yes"/>
                </Child1>
                <Child2>
                    <Text>Child Two Text</Text>
                    <Type Value="Yes"/>
                </Child2>
                <Child3>
                    <Text>Child Three Text</Text>
                    <Type Value="No"/>
                </Child3>
                <Child4>
                    <Text>Child Four Text</Text>
                    <Type Value="Yes"/>
                </Child4>
                <Child5>
                    <Text>Child Five Text</Text>
                </Child5>
            </Root>
        Dim cList As IEnumerable(Of String) = _
            From typeElement In root.Elements().<Type> _
            Where typeElement.@Value = "Yes" _
            Select typeElement.Parent.<Text>.Value
        Dim str As String
        For Each str In cList
            Console.WriteLine(str)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module

This code produces the following output:

Child One Text
Child Two Text
Child Four Text

See Also

Concepts

Basic Queries (LINQ to XML)

Standard Query Operators Overview

Projection Operations

Reference

XML Child Axis Property

XML Attribute Axis Property

XML Value Property

XElement.Attribute

XContainer.Elements

Extensions.Elements