documentElement

Syntax

set objXMLDOMElement = objDOMDocument.documentElement

set objXMLDOMNode = objDOMDocument.documentElement

set objDOMDocument.documentElement = objXMLDOMElement

set objDOMDocument.documentElement = objXMLDOMNode

Remark

This property is read-only.

Objects, objects, objects!! If you just want to get to the nitty-gritty and find the XML data in an XML document, this is the property for you! This is the root element of your XML (not the root).

Its child Node collection returns all the elements, which we have explained in detail for the childNodes property.

Once again, this property returns two interface types, namely IXMLDOMElement and IXMLDOMNode. As you read more about the other properties and methods later in this chapter, you can decide which interface you prefer to work with when viewing and manipulating your XML data.

If there is no root element, then Null is returned.

Example

Dim objDOMDocument As DOMDocument

Dim objXMLDOMElement As IXMLDOMElement

Set objDOMDocument = New DOMDocument

objDOMDocument.async = False

objDOMDocument.Load "http://localhost/xmlcode/people2.dtd"

Set objXMLDOMElement = objDOMDocument.documentElement

firstChild, lastChild, nextSibling, and previousSibling

Syntax

set objXMLDOMNode = objDOMDocument.firstChild

set objXMLDOMNode = objDOMDocument.lastChild

set objXMLDOMNode = objDOMDocument.nextSibling

set objXMLDOMNode = objDOMDocument.previousSibling

Remark

These properties are read-only.

These properties allow us to read the values of the first Node, last Node, etc., from the current Node.

Example

Perhaps one only wants to get the first child of all the elements for an XML file. Therefore, in the following example, we know that we want to populate a text box with the Name and Address from our People2.xml example.

Dim objDOMDocument As DOMDocument

Dim objXMLDOMNodeList As IXMLDOMNodeList

Dim objXMLDOMNode As IXMLDOMNode

Dim strInfo As String

Set objDOMDocument = New DOMDocument

objDOMDocument.async = False

objDOMDocument.Load "http://localhost/xmlcode/people2.dtd"

Set objXMLDOMNodeList = objDOMDocument.documentElement.childNodes

For Each objXMLDOMNode In objXMLDOMNodeList

strInfo = strInfo & objXMLDOMNode.firstChild.text & vbCrLf

strInfo = strInfo & objXMLDOMNode.nextSibling.text & vbCrLf & vbCrLf

Next

txtInfo.text = strInfo

¬ Iterate through the collection of elements in the NodeList object.

¬ The firstChild we know is going to return the Name element.

¬ The nextSibling returns the address element.

This manuscript is an abridged version of a chapter from the Manning Publications book XML Programming with VB and ASP. This chapter looks at the Microsoft DOM objects. NOTE: Most images have been removed to increase speed and many of the code comments have also been removed for presentation. Please purchase the book to enjoy the full experience of all the chapters with images and code comments!