Add newline in HTML source code using HTML Agility Pack

Question

I am modifying a HTML file using the HTML Agility Pack.

Here is an example on a HTML file containing tables:

Dim document As New HtmlDocument
Dim tables As Array

document.Load(path_html)

Dim div1 As HtmlNode = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>")
Dim div2 As HtmlNode = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>")

tables = document.DocumentNode.Descendants("table").ToArray()

For Each tr As HtmlNode In tables.Descendants("tr").ToArray
   tr.AppendChild(div1)
   tr.AppendChild(div2)
Next

document.save(path_html)

And here is the result in the HTML file:

<div></div><div></div>

What I would like is:

<div></div>
<div></div>

I think this should be implemented by default as it makes my HTML file unclear.

I saw this question (which is my exact issue) here but the answer is not working for me (maybe because of VB.NET and the answer is C#).

Can anyone help?

Answer 1

Haven't written any vb.net in a long time, so first tried this in C# :

var document = new HtmlDocument();
var div = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>");
var newline = HtmlNode.CreateNode("\r\n");
div.AppendChild(newline);
for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
{
    div.AppendChild(HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>"));
    div.AppendChild(newline);
}
document.DocumentNode.AppendChild(div);
Console.WriteLine(document.DocumentNode.WriteTo());

Works great - the output:

<div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>

Then thought, " no way....it can't be " - note the commented lines:

Dim document = New HtmlDocument()
Dim div = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>")
' this writes the literal string...
Dim newline = HtmlNode.CreateNode("\r\n")
' this works!
' Dim newline = HtmlNode.CreateNode(Environment.NewLine)
div.AppendChild(newline)
For i = 1 To 2
    div.AppendChild(HtmlNode.CreateNode("<div></div>"))
    div.AppendChild(newline)
Next
document.DocumentNode.AppendChild(div)
Console.WriteLine(document.DocumentNode.WriteTo())

Unfortunately it is so, and probably why the question you linked to was not marked answered - the output:

<div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n<div></div>\r\n</div>

Finally, instead of using the newline string as \\r\\n tried Environment.NewLine , which does work and outputs:

<div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>

Works either way in C#.

Answer 2

Based on this answer you would need to add in a node that represents a Carriage Return ( \\r ) and a Line Feed ( \\n ):

Dim newLineNode As HtmlNode = HtmlNode.CreateNode("\r\n")

Based on your comment:

I tried this but it adds '\\r\\n' in my HTML, it's not going back to line.

You've already tried this and instead it prints the string literal "\\r\\n". I too have managed to replicate this issue.

Instead look at using <br> tag which is a line break:

Dim newLineNode As HtmlNode = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<br>")

Based on your example code, your code would look something like this:

Dim newLineNode As HtmlNode = HtmlNode.CreateNode("<br>")

For Each tr As HtmlNode In tables.Descendants("tr").ToArray
   tr.AppendChild(div1)
   tr.AppendChild(newLineNode)
   tr.AppendChild(div2)
Next

However tables.Descendants("tr").ToArray did provide a compile error for me. As that's out of the scope of this question and you haven't raised it as an issue I'll make an assumption that it works for you.