How To Parse XDocument (Ebay) Items (List) Using Visual Basic? - vb.net

Question

<code>
For Each oXElement In oXDocument.Descendants("searchResult")
sTitle = oXElement.Element("title").Value
Next
</code>
I have also tried:
<code>
For Each oXElement In oXDocument.Elements(searchResults)
sTitle = oXElement.Element("title").Value
Next
</code>
I am having trouble getting a hold of nodes as well as understanding the way you communicate with XDocument nodes.
My Ultimate goal is to create an Ebay Object Model From all Ebay Element's Attributes. For that I need to refer to XML tag somehow - and this is where I would appreciate your advice or sample example that could let me proceed with parsing out this XML response.
Thank you all much for any help.
PS: I have searched for a similar questions and found a few of the same kind but still could not get my parsing to work.
<findItemsByProductResponse xmlns="http://www.ebay.com/marketplace/search/v1/services">
<ack>Success</ack>
<version>1.12.0</version>
<timestamp>2013-06-02T22:42:04.500Z</timestamp>
<searchResult count="5">
<item>
<itemId>370821427802</itemId>
<title>
Modern Database Management 11E by Hoffer, Ramesh, Topi 11th (Int'l Edition)
</title>
<globalId>EBAY-US</globalId>
<primaryCategory>
<categoryId>2228</categoryId>
<categoryName>Textbooks, Education</categoryName>
</primaryCategory>
<galleryURL>
http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/m/meSAqCRbXecSjZjO1833dWQ/140.jpg
</galleryURL>
<viewItemURL>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Database-Management-11E-Hoffer-Ramesh-Topi-11th-Intl-Edition-/370821427802?pt=US_Texbook_Education
</viewItemURL>
<productId type="ReferenceID">143649496</productId>
<paymentMethod>PayPal</paymentMethod>
<autoPay>true</autoPay>
<location>Malaysia</location>
<country>MY</country>
<shippingInfo>
<shippingServiceCost currencyId="USD">0.0</shippingServiceCost>
<shippingType>Free</shippingType>
<shipToLocations>Worldwide</shipToLocations>
<expeditedShipping>true</expeditedShipping>
<oneDayShippingAvailable>false</oneDayShippingAvailable>
<handlingTime>1</handlingTime>
</shippingInfo>
<sellingStatus>
<currentPrice currencyId="USD">54.07</currentPrice>
<convertedCurrentPrice currencyId="USD">54.07</convertedCurrentPrice>
<sellingState>Active</sellingState>
<timeLeft>P20DT10H47M20S</timeLeft>
</sellingStatus>
<listingInfo>
<bestOfferEnabled>false</bestOfferEnabled>
<buyItNowAvailable>false</buyItNowAvailable>
<startTime>2013-05-24T09:25:25.000Z</startTime>
<endTime>2013-06-23T09:29:24.000Z</endTime>
<listingType>StoreInventory</listingType>
<gift>false</gift>
</listingInfo>
<returnsAccepted>true</returnsAccepted>
<condition>
<conditionId>1000</conditionId>
<conditionDisplayName>Brand New</conditionDisplayName>
</condition>
<isMultiVariationListing>false</isMultiVariationListing>
<topRatedListing>true</topRatedListing>
</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
</searchResult>
<paginationOutput>
<pageNumber>1</pageNumber>
<entriesPerPage>5</entriesPerPage>
<totalPages>3</totalPages>
<totalEntries>14</totalEntries>
</paginationOutput>
<itemSearchURL>
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/143649496?LH_BIN=1&_ddo=1&_incaucbin=0&_ipg=5&_pgn=1
</itemSearchURL>
</findItemsByProductResponse>

Answer 1

You have to use XNamespace instance when querying your XML:
Dim ns = XNamespace.Get("http://www.ebay.com/marketplace/search/v1/services")
And with that add it to every Descendants, Elements, Element, Attributes, Attributes, etc. calls you make:
For Each oXElement In oXDocument.Descendants(ns + "searchResult")
sTitle = oXElement.Element(ns + "title").Value
Next
For Each oXElement In oXDocument.Elements(ns + searchResults)
sTitle = oXElement.Element(ns + "title").Value
Next

Answer 2

Two things. First, you fell into the trap that catches 90% of the people with problems using LINQ to XML. You forgot the namespace. You can use the following which works in C# or VB:
Dim ns = XNamespace.Get("http://www.ebay.com/marketplace/search/v1/services")
VB Also lets you use a Imports for a namespace just as you import other .Net namespaces at the top of your file. The advantage of this option is that if you have a schema in your project, you get intellisense over the XML structure while building your query.
Imports <xmlns:eb="http://www.ebay.com/marketplace/search/v1/services">
The second issue you have is that the title element is not a direct child of searchResult, but is nested an additional level deeper. Here's a sample leveraging the imports for the namespace. I'm using the VB XML Literals for descendents (...) for contrast with anyone giving you a C# biased answer ;-)
Public Class XmlTest
Public Sub TestXml()
Dim data = <findItemsByProductResponse xmlns="http://www.ebay.com/marketplace/search/v1/services">
<ack>Success</ack>
<version>1.12.0</version>
<timestamp>2013-06-02T22:42:04.500Z</timestamp>
<searchResult count="5">
<item>
<itemId>370821427802</itemId>
<title>
Modern Database Management 11E by Hoffer, Ramesh, Topi 11th (Int'l Edition)
</title>
<globalId>EBAY-US</globalId>
<primaryCategory>
<categoryId>2228</categoryId>
<categoryName>Textbooks, Education</categoryName>
</primaryCategory>
<galleryURL>
http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/m/meSAqCRbXecSjZjO1833dWQ/140.jpg
</galleryURL>
<viewItemURL>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Database-Management-11E-Hoffer-Ramesh-Topi-11th-Intl-Edition-/370821427802?pt=US_Texbook_Education
</viewItemURL>
<productId type="ReferenceID">143649496</productId>
<paymentMethod>PayPal</paymentMethod>
<autoPay>true</autoPay>
<location>Malaysia</location>
<country>MY</country>
<shippingInfo>
<shippingServiceCost currencyId="USD">0.0</shippingServiceCost>
<shippingType>Free</shippingType>
<shipToLocations>Worldwide</shipToLocations>
<expeditedShipping>true</expeditedShipping>
<oneDayShippingAvailable>false</oneDayShippingAvailable>
<handlingTime>1</handlingTime>
</shippingInfo>
<sellingStatus>
<currentPrice currencyId="USD">54.07</currentPrice>
<convertedCurrentPrice currencyId="USD">54.07</convertedCurrentPrice>
<sellingState>Active</sellingState>
<timeLeft>P20DT10H47M20S</timeLeft>
</sellingStatus>
<listingInfo>
<bestOfferEnabled>false</bestOfferEnabled>
<buyItNowAvailable>false</buyItNowAvailable>
<startTime>2013-05-24T09:25:25.000Z</startTime>
<endTime>2013-06-23T09:29:24.000Z</endTime>
<listingType>StoreInventory</listingType>
<gift>false</gift>
</listingInfo>
<returnsAccepted>true</returnsAccepted>
<condition>
<conditionId>1000</conditionId>
<conditionDisplayName>Brand New</conditionDisplayName>
</condition>
<isMultiVariationListing>false</isMultiVariationListing>
<topRatedListing>true</topRatedListing>
</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
<item>...</item>
</searchResult>
<paginationOutput>
<pageNumber>1</pageNumber>
<entriesPerPage>5</entriesPerPage>
<totalPages>3</totalPages>
<totalEntries>14</totalEntries>
</paginationOutput>
</findItemsByProductResponse>
For Each el In data...<eb:searchResult>
Console.WriteLine(el...<eb:title>.Value)
Next
End Sub
End Class