How to parse XML using vba

Question

I work in VBA, and want to parse a string eg

Answer 1

This is an example OPML parser working with FeedDemon opml files:

Sub debugPrintOPML()

' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms763720(v=VS.85).aspx
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.xml.xmlnode.selectnodes.aspx
' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms256086(v=VS.85).aspx ' expressions
' References: Microsoft XML

Dim xmldoc As New DOMDocument60
Dim oNodeList As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim oNodeList2 As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim curNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim n As Long, n2 As Long, x As Long

Dim strXPathQuery As String
Dim attrLength As Byte
Dim FilePath As String

FilePath = "rss.opml"

xmldoc.Load CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath

strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline"
Set oNodeList = xmldoc.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)

For n = 0 To (oNodeList.length - 1)
    Set curNode = oNodeList.Item(n)
    attrLength = curNode.Attributes.length
    If attrLength > 1 Then ' or 2 or 3
        Call processNode(curNode)
    Else
        Call processNode(curNode)
        strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline[position() = " & n + 1 & "]/outline"
        Set oNodeList2 = xmldoc.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)
        For n2 = 0 To (oNodeList2.length - 1)
            Set curNode = oNodeList2.Item(n2)
            Call processNode(curNode)
        Next
    End If
        Debug.Print "----------------------"
Next

Set xmldoc = Nothing

End Sub

Sub processNode(curNode As IXMLDOMNode)

Dim sAttrName As String
Dim sAttrValue As String
Dim attrLength As Byte
Dim x As Long

attrLength = curNode.Attributes.length

For x = 0 To (attrLength - 1)
    sAttrName = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeName
    sAttrValue = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeValue
    Debug.Print sAttrName & " = " & sAttrValue
Next
    Debug.Print "-----------"

End Sub

This one takes multilevel trees of folders (Awasu, NewzCrawler):

...
Call xmldocOpen4
Call debugPrintOPML4(Null)
...

Dim sText4 As String

Sub debugPrintOPML4(strXPathQuery As Variant)

Dim xmldoc4 As New DOMDocument60
'Dim xmldoc4 As New MSXML2.DOMDocument60 ' ?
Dim oNodeList As IXMLDOMSelection
Dim curNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim n4 As Long

If IsNull(strXPathQuery) Then strXPathQuery = "opml/body/outline"

' http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms754585(v=VS.85).aspx
xmldoc4.async = False
xmldoc4.loadXML sText4
If (xmldoc4.parseError.errorCode <> 0) Then
   Dim myErr
   Set myErr = xmldoc4.parseError
   MsgBox ("You have error " & myErr.reason)
Else
'   MsgBox xmldoc4.xml
End If

Set oNodeList = xmldoc4.selectNodes(strXPathQuery)

For n4 = 0 To (oNodeList.length - 1)
    Set curNode = oNodeList.Item(n4)
    Call processNode4(strXPathQuery, curNode, n4)
Next

Set xmldoc4 = Nothing

End Sub

Sub processNode4(strXPathQuery As Variant, curNode As IXMLDOMNode, n4 As Long)

Dim sAttrName As String
Dim sAttrValue As String
Dim x As Long

For x = 0 To (curNode.Attributes.length - 1)
    sAttrName = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeName
    sAttrValue = curNode.Attributes.Item(x).nodeValue
    'If sAttrName = "text"
    Debug.Print strXPathQuery & " :: " & sAttrName & " = " & sAttrValue
    'End If
Next
    Debug.Print ""

If curNode.childNodes.length > 0 Then
    Call debugPrintOPML4(strXPathQuery & "[position() = " & n4 + 1 & "]/" & curNode.nodeName)
End If

End Sub

Sub xmldocOpen4()

Dim oFSO As New FileSystemObject ' Microsoft Scripting Runtime Reference
Dim oFS
Dim FilePath As String

FilePath = "rss_awasu.opml"
Set oFS = oFSO.OpenTextFile(CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath)
sText4 = oFS.ReadAll
oFS.Close

End Sub

or better:

Sub xmldocOpen4()

Dim FilePath As String

FilePath = "rss.opml"

' function ConvertUTF8File(sUTF8File):
' http://www.vbmonster.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/vb/24947/How-to-read-UTF-8-chars-using-VBA
' loading and conversion from Utf-8 to UTF
sText8 = ConvertUTF8File(CurrentProject.Path & "\" & FilePath)

End Sub

but I don't understand, why xmldoc4 should be loaded each time.