Language

Extensions.Elements Method

Definition

Namespace:
System.Xml.Linq
Assemblies:
System.Xml.Linq.dll, System.Xml.XDocument.dll
Assemblies:
netstandard.dll, System.Xml.XDocument.dll
Assembly:
System.Xml.XDocument.dll
Assembly:
System.Xml.Linq.dll
Assembly:
netstandard.dll

Returns a collection of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection.

Overloads

Name Description
Elements(IEnumerable)

Returns a collection of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection.
Elements(IEnumerable, XName)

Returns a filtered collection of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection. Only elements that have a matching XName are included in the collection.

Remarks

Visual Basic contains an integrated elements axis that allows you to find all child elements with a specified XName for every element in the source collection.

This method uses deferred execution.

Elements(IEnumerable)

Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs

Returns a collection of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection.

public:
generic 
 where T : System::Xml::Linq::XContainer[System::Runtime::CompilerServices::Extension]
 static System::Collections::Generic::IEnumerable ^ Elements(System::Collections::Generic::IEnumerable ^ source);
public static System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable Elements(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable source) where T : System.Xml.Linq.XContainer;
public static System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable Elements(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable source) where T : System.Xml.Linq.XContainer;
static member Elements : seq<'T (requires 'T :> System.Xml.Linq.XContainer)> -> seq (requires 'T :> System.Xml.Linq.XContainer)

Public Function Elements(Of T As XContainer) (source As IEnumerable(Of T)) As IEnumerable(Of XElement)

Type Parameters

T

The type of the objects in source, constrained to XContainer.

Parameters

source
IEnumerable

An IEnumerable of XElement that contains the source collection.

Returns

IEnumerable<XElement>

An IEnumerable of XElement of the child elements of every element or document in the source collection.

Examples

The following example retrieves a collection of elements with the element name of Child. It then uses this axis method to retrieve all child elements of the collection.

XElement xmlTree = new XElement("Root",
    new XElement("Child",
        new XElement("GrandChild1", 1),
        new XElement("GrandChild2", 2)
    ),
    new XElement("Child",
        new XElement("GrandChild3", 3),
        new XElement("GrandChild4", 4)
    ),
    new XElement("Child",
        new XElement("GrandChild5", 5),
        new XElement("GrandChild6", 6)
    )
);

IEnumerable allGrandChildren =
    from el in xmlTree.Elements("Child").Elements()
    select el;

foreach (XElement el in allGrandChildren)
    Console.WriteLine(el);

Dim xmlTree As XElement = _
     
          
              1
              2
          

          
              3
              4
          

          
              5
              6
          
      

Dim allGrandChildren = From el In xmlTree..Elements _
                       Select el

For Each el As XElement In allGrandChildren
    Console.WriteLine(el)
Next

This example produces the following output:

1
2
3
4
5
6

The following is the same example, but in this case the XML is in a namespace. For more information, see Work with XML Namespaces.

XNamespace aw = "http://www.adventure-works.com";
XElement xmlTree = new XElement(aw + "Root",
    new XElement(aw + "Child",
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild1", 1),
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild2", 2)
    ),
    new XElement(aw + "Child",
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild3", 3),
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild4", 4)
    ),
    new XElement(aw + "Child",
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild5", 5),
        new XElement(aw + "GrandChild6", 6)
    )
);

IEnumerable allGrandChildren =
    from el in xmlTree.Elements(aw + "Child").Elements()
    select el;

foreach (XElement el in allGrandChildren)
    Console.WriteLine(el);

Imports 

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim xmlTree As XElement = _
             
                 
                     1
                     2
                 

                 
                     3
                     4
                 

                 
                     5
                     6
                 
             

        Dim allGrandChildren = From el In xmlTree..Elements _
                               Select el

        For Each el As XElement In allGrandChildren
            Console.WriteLine(el)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module

This example produces the following output:

1
2
3
4
5
6

Remarks

Although Visual Basic contains an integrated elements axis that allows you to find all child elements with a specified XName for every element in the source collection, there is no integrated elements axis that allows you to retrieve a collection of every child element for every element in the source collection.

This method uses deferred execution.

See also

Applies to

Elements(IEnumerable, XName)

Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs
Source:
Extensions.cs

Returns a filtered collection of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection. Only elements that have a matching XName are included in the collection.

public:
generic 
 where T : System::Xml::Linq::XContainer[System::Runtime::CompilerServices::Extension]
 static System::Collections::Generic::IEnumerable ^ Elements(System::Collections::Generic::IEnumerable ^ source, System::Xml::Linq::XName ^ name);
public static System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable Elements(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable source, System.Xml.Linq.XName name) where T : System.Xml.Linq.XContainer;
public static System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable Elements(this System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable source, System.Xml.Linq.XName? name) where T : System.Xml.Linq.XContainer;
static member Elements : seq<'T (requires 'T :> System.Xml.Linq.XContainer)> * System.Xml.Linq.XName -> seq (requires 'T :> System.Xml.Linq.XContainer)

Public Function Elements(Of T As XContainer) (source As IEnumerable(Of T), name As XName) As IEnumerable(Of XElement)

Type Parameters

T

The type of the objects in source, constrained to XContainer.

Parameters

source
IEnumerable

An IEnumerable of XElement that contains the source collection.

name
XName

The XName to match.

Returns

IEnumerable<XElement>

An IEnumerable of XElement of the child elements of every element and document in the source collection. Only elements that have a matching XName are included in the collection.

Examples

This extension method is useful when you want to retrieve all elements with a specified name at a particular depth. This is easy if the document is very regular, but if the document is irregular, it can be a bit more difficult. In the following example, we want to retrieve all aaa elements that are children of Item elements. A given Item element may or may not contain an aaa element. This is easily accomplished using this extension method, as follows:

XElement xmlTree = new XElement("Root",
    new XElement("Item",
        new XElement("aaa", 1),
        new XElement("bbb", 2)
    ),
    new XElement("Item",
        new XElement("ccc", 3),
        new XElement("aaa", 4)
    ),
    new XElement("Item",
        new XElement("ddd", 5),
        new XElement("eee", 6)
    )
);

IEnumerable allGrandChildren =
    from el in xmlTree.Elements("Item").Elements("aaa")
    select el;

foreach (XElement el in allGrandChildren)
    Console.WriteLine(el);

Dim xmlTree As XElement = _
    
        
            1
            2
        

        
            3
            4
        

        
            5
            6
        
    

Dim allGrandChildren = From el In xmlTree.. _
                       Select el

For Each el As XElement In allGrandChildren
    Console.WriteLine(el)
Next

This example produces the following output:

1
4

The following is the same example, but in this case the XML is in a namespace. For more information, see Work with XML Namespaces.

XNamespace aw = "http://www.adventure-works.com";
XElement xmlTree = new XElement(aw + "Root",
    new XElement(aw + "Item",
        new XElement(aw + "aaa", 1),
        new XElement(aw + "bbb", 2)
    ),
    new XElement(aw + "Item",
        new XElement(aw + "ccc", 3),
        new XElement(aw + "aaa", 4)
    ),
    new XElement(aw + "Item",
        new XElement(aw + "ddd", 5),
        new XElement(aw + "eee", 6)
    )
);

IEnumerable allGrandChildren =
    from el in xmlTree.Elements(aw + "Item").Elements(aw + "aaa")
    select el;

foreach (XElement el in allGrandChildren)
    Console.WriteLine(el);

Imports 

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim xmlTree As XElement = _
            
                
                    1
                    2
                

                
                    3
                    4
                

                
                    5
                    6
                
            

        Dim allGrandChildren = From el In xmlTree.. _
                               Select el

        For Each el As XElement In allGrandChildren
            Console.WriteLine(el)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module

This example produces the following output:

1
4

Remarks

Visual Basic users can use the integrated elements axis to retrieve the child elements of every element in a collection.

This method uses deferred execution.

See also

Applies to