How to edit a list element in an XML file

Question

Introduction
In my game players are able to place magazine pouches on a combat vest. I want to save this data so it can be loaded later.

Each pouch has a name, three position floats and three rotation floats.
The number of pouches can vary, which is why their data needs to be in a list.

The vest only has a name.

"Loadout" is a word I use to describe what equipment the player is wearing. Later helmets, belts, holsters etc. will be added.

First question
How can I edit the name, positions and rotation of each pouch? I can add pouches, but I don't know how to edit them.

Second question
How can I make the attribute of the vest show correctly? Currently it is showing as an attribute of the root element "Loadout".

My C# script containing the data for the XML file

 using System;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 using UnityEngine;
 using UnityEditor;
 
 [XmlRoot("Loadout")]
 [XmlInclude(typeof(Pouch))]
 public class Loadout {    
     [XmlAttribute("vestName")]
     public string vestName;
     [XmlArray("Vest")]
     [XmlArrayItem("pouch")]
     public List<Pouch> vestPouches = new List<Pouch>();
 }
 
 [XmlType("Pouch")]
 public class Pouch {
     // The type of pouch
     [XmlAttribute("pouchName")]
     public string pouchName;
 
     // Position of the pouch
     [XmlElement("posX")]
     public float posX;
     [XmlElement("posY")]
     public float posY;
     [XmlElement("posZ")]
     public float posZ;
 
     // Rotation of the pouch
     [XmlElement("rotX")]
     public float rotX;
     [XmlElement("rotY")]
     public float rotY;
     [XmlElement("rotZ")]
     public float rotZ;
 }

My C# script that creates the XML file and edits the variables

 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 using System.IO;
 using UnityEngine;
 
 public class xmlTestWriter : MonoBehaviour {
 
     public string nameOfLoadout;
 
     void Start () {
         SaveData ();
     }
 
     void SaveData () {
 
         XmlSerializer mySerializer = new XmlSerializer (typeof(Loadout));
         string path = "Assets/_Game/Resources/Loadouts/" + nameOfLoadout + ".xml";
         StreamWriter myWriter = new StreamWriter (path);
         Loadout newLoadout = new Loadout ();
 
         newLoadout.vestName = "Combatvest03";
         newLoadout.vestPouches.Add (new Pouch ());
         newLoadout.vestPouches.Add (new Pouch ());
         newLoadout.vestPouches.Add (new Pouch ());
 
         mySerializer.Serialize (myWriter.BaseStream, newLoadout);
         myWriter.Close ();
     }
 }

The produced XML file

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
 <Loadout xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" vestType="Combatvest03">
   <Vest>
     <pouch>
       <posX>0</posX>
       <posY>0</posY>
       <posZ>0</posZ>
       <rotX>0</rotX>
       <rotY>0</rotY>
       <rotZ>0</rotZ>
     </pouch>
     <pouch>
       <posX>0</posX>
       <posY>0</posY>
       <posZ>0</posZ>
       <rotX>0</rotX>
       <rotY>0</rotY>
       <rotZ>0</rotZ>
     </pouch>
     <pouch>
       <posX>0</posX>
       <posY>0</posY>
       <posZ>0</posZ>
       <rotX>0</rotX>
       <rotY>0</rotY>
       <rotZ>0</rotZ>
     </pouch>
   </Vest>
 </Loadout>

And this is what I would like the XML file to be like

 <Loadout>
   <Vest vestType="Combatvest03">
     <pouch pouchType="m4x1 Pouch">
             <posX>0</posX>
         <posY>0</posY>
         <posZ>0</posZ>
             <rotX>0</rotX>
             <rotY>0</rotY>
             <rotZ>0</rotZ>
     </pouch>
   </Vest>
 </Loadout>

Final note
I have been working on this for several weeks. I have watched and read a lot of video and text tutorials about xml creation. I even had some of them work, but when I put it into my own work it all breaks apart!
I really hope someone can help me.
Thank you in advance! :)

Answer 1

I have expanded your LoadOut class a little, but it gets the job done :) I also added some serialization code that lets you control the output a little easier.

LoadOut, Vest and Pouch classes

 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 
 public class LoadOut
 {
     public Vest Vest { get; set; } = new Vest();
 }
 
 public class Vest
 {
     [XmlAttribute("vestType")]
     public string vestName;
 
     [XmlElement("pouch")]
     public List<Pouch> VestPouches = new List<Pouch>();
 }
 
 public class Pouch
 {
     public float posX;
     public float posY;
     public float posZ;
 
     [XmlAttribute("pouchType")]
     public string pouchName;
 
     public float rotX;
     public float rotY;
     public float rotZ;
 }

Serialization code

 using System.Text;
 using System.Xml;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 
 internal class Program
 {
     private static void Main(string[] args)
     {
         var sb = new StringBuilder();
         // The settings keep indentation but strips the xmlDeclaration
         var settings = new XmlWriterSettings {OmitXmlDeclaration = true, Indent = true};
         // Creates a writer using the above settings
         var writer = XmlWriter.Create(sb, settings);
 
         var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(LoadOut));
         var load = new LoadOut();
         load.Vest.vestName = "Combatvest03";
         load.Vest.VestPouches.Add(new Pouch {pouchName = "m4x1 pouch"});

         // Create namespaces and add an empty default namespace
         var namespaces = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
         namespaces.Add(string.Empty, string.Empty);

         // Serialize using the xmlwriter and the stripped namespaces
         serializer.Serialize(writer, load, namespaces);

         Console.Write(sb.ToString());
         Console.ReadKey();
     }
 }

How to edit a list element in an XML file

1 Reply

Your answer

Follow this Question

Related Questions