将SQL Server中的XML存储在对象中并进行解析

Question

I have a column in a SQL Server table of datatype XML that I need to read into my c# application and store into an object. The format of the data in the column is such

<call>
    <attempted>
        <enterdata/>
    </attempted>
    <completed>
        <enterdata/>
        <updatedate/>
    </completed>
</call>

The idea is, the user calls a customer and afterwards must fill out a report. After indicating whether they reached the customer (completed) or not (attempted), the application will parse the XML accordingly and determine which updates it must make in the system.

However, I don't know which datatype to use inside my Call class to store this information, and then parse it later to see which updates need made. I tried using XElement , but got an error saying "Cannot implicitly convert type 'object' to 'System.Xml.Linq.XElement'. I get a similar error when I cast it, but says to 'String' instead, I believe. I was hoping to get some advice on how to approach this, from what data type to store the XML data in, to how to parse it.

Answer 1

Here is an solution:

"setting" is the xml saved in DB.

     IDictionary<string, string> setting = new Dictionary<string, string>(); 

using (DbDataReader reader = command.ExecuteReader())
 {
    if (reader.Read())
     {
       object settingValue = reader["setting"];
       if (settingValue != null)
       {
         try
            {
              // Test if the content can be parsed as XElement before contract deserialize
             XElement xNode = XElement.Parse(settingValue.ToString());
             if (xNode != null)
             {
               setting = (IDictionary<string, string>)XmlUtil.DataContractDeserialize(settingValue.ToString(), setting.GetType());
             }
          }
         catch (XmlException)
         {

         }
      }
   }
}