VB6 Reading XML from website

[TonyLock]

I'm totally new to Visual Basic 6 so please forgive me if this is a dumb question that has an easy answer. I've searched but I can't find an easy solution that someone like me would understand.

Here is what I would like to do. I want to access a website using my program and read in one of 2 XML file. After reading them, I want it add the values to a variable.

The first XML may be on a URL like: http://www.example.com/version.xml

The XML will look exactly like:

<version>
	<number>3.1.5</number>
</version>

The second XML may be on a URL like: http://www.example.com/news.xml

The XML will look exactly like:

<message>
	<id>786</id>
	<name>Tony Lock</name>
	<subject>Hello World</subject>
	<forum>General</forum>
</message>

I don't have any idea how to connect to a website using VB or how to cycle thought an XML and parse the variables I want. So ideally, the following variables would be populated with the values from the XML:

+-----------+---------------+
|  VB VAR   |  VALUES	   |
+===========+===============+
|  Version  |  3.1.5		|
+-----------+---------------+
|  ID	   |  786		  |
+-----------+---------------+
|  Name	 |  Tony Lock	|
+-----------+---------------+
|  Subject  |  Hello World  |
+-----------+---------------+
|  Forum	|  General	  |
+-----------+---------------+

Thank you so much for your help.

[Eric Veteran]

Out of curiosity, why VB6? Visual Basic .NET is free and the .NET Framework XML classes are much easier to use than the old XML DOM available in VB6.

[TonyLock]

I am new to VB and I was given a copy of VB6. I did not even know about VB.net. Where can I download visual basic .net from?

None the less, can you still help me with the code? I am too new at this to even know where to begin.

Edited May 17, 2009 by TonyLock

[acnpt]

You can download vb.net express edition for free Here

I strongly recommend you do, as vb6 isn't used much anymore, and there are more xml examples for vb.net.

[BGM]

i concur, your task will be a lot leasier with .net (c# or vb), so if you don't need to use vb6 or are not that far along in your development to mind switching go download it and give it a shot..

i will knock up an example for you when i get into work tomorrow :)

good luck.

[Eric Veteran]

  TonyLock said:

I am new to VB and I was given a copy of VB6. I did not even know about VB.net. Where can I download visual basic .net from?

None the less, can you still help me with the code? I am too new at this to even know where to begin.

I'll be glad to try. I only suggested updating VB because it'll take me ages to remember/reference VB6 and MS-XML. :)

All the express versions of Visual Studio can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/express

(Don't forget the documentation library at the bottom of the page.)

[TonyLock]

Cool, thanks. I'll upgrade to the .net version.

[TonyLock]

Can anyone help?

[Clinteger]

Really? Can you Google? We're not going to spoon feed you with code...it's kind of about learning things on your own. :\

*cough*

[TonyLock]

Thank you but I have uninstaller VB.net, it was jus way too bloated and none of my old VB6 files our load.

Anyway, what's wrong with spoon feeding? :-P

I've always thought that one of the best ways to learn is not just to experiment (in my case, just stabbing in the dark) but to learn from experienced people, like you folk. And as for using Google, well what do you think I've been doing all weekend, without success?

[BGM]

vb code will not run in vb.net

[GreenMartian]

  TonyLock said:

I'm totally new to Visual Basic 6 ...

  TonyLock said:

... and none of my old VB6 files our load.

Surely there can't be that many of them.. :p

But seriously, handling HTTP Requests, XML, and even encryption (from your other thread) is much easier in .Net.

[Eric Veteran]

There should be a converter to import VB6 into VB .NET. Is it not included anymore?

If you're still wanting to try .NET, here is the first step: requesting the file from the web server. (I'm using the World of Warcraft realm server status as an example because it's a known Url.)

Module XmlModule
	Dim requestUrl As String = "http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/realmstatus/status.xml"

	Sub Main()
		Dim xmlData As String = GetXmlFromUri(requestUrl)
		Console.WriteLine("WoW realm status data:")
		Console.WriteLine()
		Console.WriteLine(xmlData)
		Console.WriteLine()
		Console.Write("Pressr to exit.")
		Console.ReadLine()
	End Sub

	Function GetXmlFromUri(ByVal uri As String) As String
		' This creates a System.Net.WebRequest class that will 
		' get the XML file from the web server
		Dim req As Net.HttpWebRequest = Net.WebRequest.Create(requestUrl)

		' This creates a System.Net.WebResponse class by sending the
		' request and receiving the data.
		Dim resp As Net.HttpWebResponse = req.GetResponse()

		' This creates a System.IO.StreamReader class that will read
		' the xml data from the HttpWebResponse class.
		Dim reader As IO.StreamReader = New IO.StreamReader(resp.GetResponseStream())

		' Read the entire text stream from the response via 
		' the StreamReader
		Dim xml As String = reader.ReadToEnd()

		' Note it is not necessary to call Close() on any of the classes
		' as the .NET Framework will dispose of them automatically when
		' they go out of scope at the end of the function.
		' You can get more advanced and Close/Dispose them manually for
		' more efficiency, though.
		Return xml
	End Function

End Module

If you want to continue, give this a try and let me know. Next we can do the actual parsing of the data.

[Clinteger]

To be honest, you're really not going to get far with VB6. I'd actually recommend that since you're taking the time to learn a language, that you just start with C#. VB.NET really is quite a transitional language from people that know VB6 [which you, by any stretch of the imagination, do not] to C#. C# is more widely supported and opens more opportunities for you down the line.