XmlTextWriter.WriteStartElement(String, String, String) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Xml

Assembly:

System.Xml.ReaderWriter.dll

Source:

XmlTextWriter.cs

Writes the specified start tag and associates it with the given namespace and prefix.

public:
 override void WriteStartElement(System::String ^ prefix, System::String ^ localName, System::String ^ ns);

public override void WriteStartElement (string? prefix, string localName, string? ns);

override this.WriteStartElement : string * string * string -> unit

Public Overrides Sub WriteStartElement (prefix As String, localName As String, ns As String)

Parameters

prefix

String

The namespace prefix of the element.

localName

String

The local name of the element.

ns

String

The namespace URI to associate with the element. If this namespace is already in scope and has an associated prefix then the writer automatically writes that prefix also.

Exceptions

InvalidOperationException

The writer is closed.

Examples

The following example writes out a book.

#using <System.Xml.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Xml;
int main()
{
   String^ filename = "sampledata.xml";
   XmlTextWriter^ writer = gcnew XmlTextWriter( filename, nullptr );
   
   //Use indenting for readability.
   writer->Formatting = Formatting::Indented;
   writer->WriteComment( "sample XML fragment" );
   
   //Write an element (this one is the root).
   writer->WriteStartElement( "bookstore" );
   
   //Write the namespace declaration.
   writer->WriteAttributeString( "xmlns", "bk", nullptr, "urn:samples" );
   writer->WriteStartElement( "book" );
   
   //Lookup the prefix and then write the ISBN attribute.
   String^ prefix = writer->LookupPrefix( "urn:samples" );
   writer->WriteStartAttribute( prefix, "ISBN", "urn:samples" );
   writer->WriteString( "1-861003-78" );
   writer->WriteEndAttribute();
   
   //Write the title.
   writer->WriteStartElement( "title" );
   writer->WriteString( "The Handmaid's Tale" );
   writer->WriteEndElement();
   
   //Write the price.
   writer->WriteElementString( "price", "19.95" );
   
   //Write the style element.
   writer->WriteStartElement( prefix, "style", "urn:samples" );
   writer->WriteString( "hardcover" );
   writer->WriteEndElement();
   
   //Write the end tag for the book element.
   writer->WriteEndElement();
   
   //Write the close tag for the root element.
   writer->WriteEndElement();
   
   //Write the XML to file and close the writer.
   writer->Flush();
   writer->Close();
   
   //Read the file back in and parse to ensure well formed XML.
   XmlDocument^ doc = gcnew XmlDocument;
   
   //Preserve white space for readability.
   doc->PreserveWhitespace = true;
   
   //Load the file
   doc->Load( filename );
   
   //Write the XML content to the console.
   Console::Write( doc->InnerXml );
}

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml;

public class Sample
{
  private const string filename = "sampledata.xml";

  public static void Main()
  {

     XmlTextWriter writer = new XmlTextWriter (filename, null);
     //Use indenting for readability.
     writer.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;

     writer.WriteComment("sample XML fragment");

     //Write an element (this one is the root).
     writer.WriteStartElement("bookstore");

     //Write the namespace declaration.
     writer.WriteAttributeString("xmlns", "bk", null, "urn:samples");

     writer.WriteStartElement("book");

     //Lookup the prefix and then write the ISBN attribute.
     string prefix = writer.LookupPrefix("urn:samples");
     writer.WriteStartAttribute(prefix, "ISBN", "urn:samples");
     writer.WriteString("1-861003-78");
     writer.WriteEndAttribute();

     //Write the title.
     writer.WriteStartElement("title");
     writer.WriteString("The Handmaid's Tale");
     writer.WriteEndElement();

     //Write the price.
     writer.WriteElementString("price", "19.95");

     //Write the style element.
     writer.WriteStartElement(prefix, "style", "urn:samples");
     writer.WriteString("hardcover");
     writer.WriteEndElement();

     //Write the end tag for the book element.
     writer.WriteEndElement();

     //Write the close tag for the root element.
     writer.WriteEndElement();

     //Write the XML to file and close the writer.
     writer.Flush();
     writer.Close();

     //Read the file back in and parse to ensure well formed XML.
     XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
     //Preserve white space for readability.
     doc.PreserveWhitespace = true;
     //Load the file
     doc.Load(filename);

     //Write the XML content to the console.
     Console.Write(doc.InnerXml);
  }
}

Option Strict
Option Explicit

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml

Public Class Sample
    Private Shared filename As String = "sampledata.xml"
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        
        Dim writer As New XmlTextWriter(filename, Nothing)
        'Use indenting for readability.
        writer.Formatting = Formatting.Indented
        
        writer.WriteComment("sample XML fragment")
        
        'Write an element (this one is the root).
        writer.WriteStartElement("bookstore")
        
        'Write the namespace declaration.
        writer.WriteAttributeString("xmlns", "bk", Nothing, "urn:samples")
        
        writer.WriteStartElement("book")
        
        'Lookup the prefix and then write the ISBN attribute.
        Dim prefix As String = writer.LookupPrefix("urn:samples")
        writer.WriteStartAttribute(prefix, "ISBN", "urn:samples")
        writer.WriteString("1-861003-78")
        writer.WriteEndAttribute()
        
        'Write the title.
        writer.WriteStartElement("title")
        writer.WriteString("The Handmaid's Tale")
        writer.WriteEndElement()
        
        'Write the price.
        writer.WriteElementString("price", "19.95")
        
        'Write the style element.
        writer.WriteStartElement(prefix, "style", "urn:samples")
        writer.WriteString("hardcover")
        writer.WriteEndElement()
        
        'Write the end tag for the book element.
        writer.WriteEndElement()
        
        'Write the close tag for the root element.
        writer.WriteEndElement()
        
        'Write the XML to file and close the writer.
        writer.Flush()
        writer.Close()
        
        'Read the file back in and parse to ensure well formed XML.
        Dim doc As New XmlDocument()
        'Preserve white space for readability.
        doc.PreserveWhitespace = True
        'Load the file.
        doc.Load(filename)
        
        'Write the XML content to the console.
        Console.Write(doc.InnerXml)
    End Sub
End Class

Remarks

Note

Starting with the .NET Framework 2.0, we recommend that you create XmlWriter instances by using the XmlWriter.Create method and the XmlWriterSettings class to take advantage of new functionality.

After calling this method you can either write attributes or create content using WriteComment, WriteString, or WriteStartElement for child elements. You can close the element with WriteEndElement at which time an end tag is written out.