query ebay odata with linq - vb.net

Question

I am pulling information from eBay using their odata feed. I am trying to use linq to pull the specific information we are after. Using linq I can get down to the specific element holding the information we want. What I can't do is figure out how to query the element data to get the specific child elements I want. I could just parse it but really want to learn linq. I am using vb.net as the language. To get the element I am after I use the following:
Sub Main
dim ns = "http://ebayodata.cloudapp.net/"
dim url as string = "http://ebayodata.cloudapp.net/Items?search=1756-L65"
Using reader As XmlReader = XmlReader.Create(url)
While reader.Read()
If reader.NodeType = XmlNodeType.Element AndAlso reader.Name = "entry" Then
GetChildContentElements(reader)
End If
End While
End Using
End Sub
Private Sub GetChildContentElements(reader As XmlReader)
' move to first child
While reader.Read()
If reader.NodeType = XmlNodeType.Element AndAlso reader.Name = "m:properties" Then
Exit While
End If
End While
Dim bookXml As XElement = DirectCast(XNode.ReadFrom(reader), XElement)
Console.WriteLine(bookXml)
End Sub
One of the elements this returns looks like:
<m:properties xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/metadata" xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices">
<d:Id>160917851201</d:Id>
<d:UserId>baltisales</d:UserId>
<d:Title>Allen Bradley 1756-L65 /B ControlLogix Processor 32MB Memory *60 DAYS WARRANTY!*</d:Title>
<d:Subtitle m:null="true"></d:Subtitle>
<d:SellingState>Active</d:SellingState>
<d:TimeLeft>P24DT2H25M33S</d:TimeLeft>
<d:Currency>USD</d:Currency>
<d:CurrentPrice m:type="Edm.Double">6446.14</d:CurrentPrice>
<d:MinimumToBid m:type="Edm.Double">6446.14</d:MinimumToBid>
<d:BidCount m:type="Edm.Int32">0</d:BidCount>
<d:Description m:null="true"></d:Description>
<d:QuantitySold m:type="Edm.Int32">0</d:QuantitySold>
<d:AutoPay m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:AutoPay>
<d:CharityId m:null="true"></d:CharityId>
<d:Country>US</d:Country>
<d:Compatibility m:null="true"></d:Compatibility>
<d:GalleryUrl>http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/m/m3Y01PfuyFhctnJiEet95Gw/140.jpg</d:GalleryUrl>
<d:GlobalId>EBAY-US</d:GlobalId>
<d:PostalCode>21209</d:PostalCode>
<d:ReturnsAccepted m:type="Edm.Boolean">true</d:ReturnsAccepted>
<d:PrimaryCategoryId>97184</d:PrimaryCategoryId>
<d:SecondaryCategoryId m:null="true"></d:SecondaryCategoryId>
<d:ViewItemUrl>http://www.ebay.com/itm/Allen-Bradley-1756-L65-B-ControlLogix-Processor-32MB-Memory-60-DAYS-WARRANTY-/160917851201?pt=BI_Control_Systems_PLCs</d:ViewItemUrl>
<d:PaymentMethods>PayPal ,VisaMC ,AmEx</d:PaymentMethods>
<d:Condition m:type="eBay.Model.Entities.Condition">
<d:Id m:type="Edm.Int32">3000</d:Id>
<d:Name>Used</d:Name>
</d:Condition>
<d:ListingInfo m:type="eBay.Model.Entities.ListingInfo">
<d:BestOfferEnabled m:type="Edm.Boolean">true</d:BestOfferEnabled>
<d:BuyItNowAvailable m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:BuyItNowAvailable>
<d:BuyItNowPrice m:type="Edm.Double" m:null="true"></d:BuyItNowPrice>
<d:ConvertedBuyItNowPrice m:type="Edm.Double" m:null="true"> </d:ConvertedBuyItNowPrice>
<d:Gift m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:Gift>
<d:ListingType>StoreInventory</d:ListingType>
<d:StartTime m:type="Edm.DateTime">2012-11-06T23:08:18Z</d:StartTime>
<d:EndTime m:type="Edm.DateTime">2013-04-05T23:13:18Z</d:EndTime>
</d:ListingInfo>
<d:Distance m:type="eBay.Model.Entities.Distance" m:null="true"></d:Distance>
<d:ShippingInformation m:type="eBay.Model.Entities.ShippingInformation">
<d:Delimiter m:null="true"></d:Delimiter>
<d:ExpeditedShipping m:type="Edm.Boolean">true</d:ExpeditedShipping>
<d:HandlingTime m:type="Edm.Int32">1</d:HandlingTime>
<d:OneDayShippingAvailable m:type="Edm.Boolean">true</d:OneDayShippingAvailable>
<d:ShippingServiceCost m:type="Edm.Double">0</d:ShippingServiceCost>
<d:ShippingType>FlatDomesticCalculatedInternational</d:ShippingType>
</d:ShippingInformation>
</m:properties>
I am struggling with querying the above to get the specific child elements we need to work with. The ":" in the tags seems to be confusing using namespaces. What I would like to do is to be able to query the element to get values for d:Id, d:UserId, d:Currentprice, etc. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Answer 1

Try using WCF data services client. It can generate proxy classes for you that would simplify things. Refer to the documentation here.

Answer 2

Sample code for doing custom url's with generated WCF DS client,
const string baseAddress = "http://ebayodata.cloudapp.net/";
EBayData ebay = new EBayData(new Uri(baseAddress));
var items = ebay.Execute<Item>(new Uri(baseAddress + "Items?search=1756-L65"));
foreach (var item in items)
{
Console.WriteLine(item.Title);
}