Using XDocument.Load() to load an .aspx file | Tech Off

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

I'm trying to manipulate an ASPX file via Linq to XML, but when I try to load the ASPX file using XDocument.Load(), it throws up the "Name cannot begin with the '%' character" exception, obviously because of the <%@ Page %> directive.

Is there anyway to have Linq ignore that line or something? I'm noticing that ScottGu's tutorial also uses XDocument.Load() to load an aspx file, but I don't see anything in his code that might prevent the % exception.

Sven Groot
My name has 9 letters. Coincidence? I think not...

Where is he loading a .aspx file? I don't see it.

Fact is that raw aspx files are not valid XML, (not just the lines at the top, but any <% %> block including databinding expressions etc.) so you can't do this without modifying the aspx file first.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to Sven Groot

#Jun 26th @ 3:15 AM

My bad, I thought he did, but on closer inspection he's loading it via HTTP, so it won't be ASPX by the time it's on his side.

Anyway, that's annoying. I hoped Linq would be more forgiving about invalid XML.

stevo_
Human after all

Could perhaps configure/adapt an xml reader so that it can understand / ignore code blocks? not sure how much work that would be..

vesuvius
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

In reply to Bas

#Jun 26th @ 3:22 AM

Its not even HTML on his side, the example is using REST and he is loading an XML file from someplace.rss.aspx RSS is always XML and not HTML or XHTML which is what ASPX is. I'd be interested fo find out what you are tying to do?

Going the _stevo route would require writing a parser (non trivial) so you'd probably use Sharp Develop or Actipro

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to vesuvius

#Jun 26th @ 1:37 PM

I'm automating some of our application-building, which involves adding several pages to a project and then modifying them based on certain stuff. Changing the title, adding controls, that sort of stuff. The EnvDTE namespace allows for this sort of stuff with classes, but not ASPX pages, it seems. So instead I figured I'd manipulate the ASPX file through Linq to XML because that's pretty convenient with XML, but now I have to figure out something more unwieldy.

I might read the aspx into memory, remove the page directive, feed it to an XDocument, manipulate it, write it back and then manually add the page directive back, but that somehow seems error-prone.

joechung

In reply to Bas

#Jun 27th @ 8:58 AM

I wouldn't recommend that, because the <% %> tags won't parse with XDocument.

Dr Herbie
Horses for courses

In reply to joechung

#Jul 1st @ 11:44 PM

How about reading the ASPX file into memory, replacing the '<%' and '%>' with XML-valid markers ('<_percentgoesghere_' and '_percentgoeshere_>' ?), process as XML, then put back the '<%' and '%>'.

Herbie

Ion Todirel
buuu

In reply to Dr Herbie

#Jul 2nd @ 12:49 AM

aspx files can contain anything (CSS, JavaScript...), and HTML != XHTML, it would require a bit more effort than that

Dr Herbie
Horses for courses

In reply to Ion Todirel

#Jul 2nd @ 1:16 AM

Hmm. Sounding more and more like a customer parser is required Sad

Herbie

Ion Todirel
buuu

In reply to Bas

#Jun 27th @ 8:58 AM

how about creating a custom project template?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

This is a total PITA. I thought the same thing Dr. Herbie suggested, and it worked, until I indeed came across some scripts like Ion Todirel warned against.

I'm already using custom project templates, but they only go so far. I need to modify the ASPX code (as in, add a bunch of controls) for each page generated based on different criteria. Also, each page needs to have a different title, etcetera.

Any other ideas? I'm almost ready to just read the whole thing into a massive string, find the opening and closing tags of the form element, and insert a string of code between it. Which sounds incredibly error-prone and unwieldy.

Ion Todirel
buuu

In reply to Bas

#Jul 4th @ 6:12 AM

>I'm almost ready to just read the whole thing into a massive string, find the opening and closing tags of the form element, and insert a string of code between it. Which sounds incredibly error-prone and unwieldy.
Actually that was just what I wanted to suggest, if your controls are static/asp.net controls, simple to define, I don't see a better/easier way around. You may also look into the custom project templates (like Silverlight or C++ ones) which have wizards so you'll be able to fit/set more information. The template engine may also do some replacement work for you (like it does with $targetframeworkversion$ attribute) if you figure out how to pass your own custom attribute/value pairs to it.