[AccessD] Parsing XML as a string?

Hello Greg,

Have a look at this topic's code samples:

http://smsconsulting.spb.ru/shamil_s/topics/xmltests.htm

It can give you idea how to parse your XML file(s) using MS XML Core
Services (installed by default (v.5.x) with MS Office/Access 2003).

For other MS Access/Office versions or for the cases when IE is absent on
target PC MSXML Core Services should be downloaded from here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/XML/XMLDownloads/default.aspx and installed.

--
Shamil
 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Greg Smith
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 6:46 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] Parsing XML as a string?

Hi everyone!

Ok...I admit that trying to import that XML file I had directly into
Access may have SEEMED like a good, "easy", idea...at the time...but after
looking around and from the comments here, the idea was...well..it sucked.
 If the XML they were sending to me were compatible then I might have had
a chance...but it's just not feasible.  There actually wasn't any way to
define it using a dtd/xls/xlst within my lifetime, so I'm going to have to
use a different approach.

The files they send as XML are not that large, so I could easily import
them as text, separate out what I need and put it into the required
tables.  However, since they send it as a single string, it becomes harder
to parse it since there are multiple duplicated 'keys' that I need to pull
from it.  And they're not necessarily in the same position all of the
time.

I could import it as a single string into a memo field, but I can't figure
out how to disect a memo field string like that.

When I import it as text, I could break it down at the "<" characters,
importing each one into a separate columns, but I need them in rows, not
columns, to search and find the strings of data I need.

So, in summary, my only two choices (that I can think of) are:

1.  Import the XML as a single string into a memo and somehow parse that
into the data I need.
2.  Import the XML as text, separating it on the "<" characters into
columns, then somehow magically (transpose columns into rows?) transform
that to usable information.

ANY suggestions, short of retirement (although not a bad idea...), would
be GREATLY apprecaited!

Thanks!

Greg Smith



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