XML schema defines the ability to create an XML node as either bin.base64 or bin.hex, which are two forms of encoded binary.
This article shows an example of how to create a XML document with nodes of bin.hex type and read the binary content from this node.
NOTE: As this example shows, you do not have to do the conversion from binary format to hex format separately. If you assign the binary content to a node of bin.hex via the
nodeTypedValue property, the MSXML parser automatically converts it for you. If you indeed want to provide the HEX value, you could assign to the node by using text property.
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either
expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes
that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the
tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can
help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not
modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to
meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may
want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based
consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified
Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
The following steps show you how to create an XML document with binary content, and then read back the binary content of a node that you create from this XML document:
- Create a new Visual Basic Standard EXE Project and save it.
- Select Microsoft XML, Version 2.0 or later, in your project reference.
- Create a button called cmdCreateXML and another one called cmdGetBinary on form1.
- Give these buttons descriptive captions.
- Paste the following code in the code module behind form1.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' How to create XML with binary data
'
' General program flows:
'
' Build builds a small XML file from a MS Doc file
' Write saves XML tree to a file
' Write the MS Doc file as another file
'
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Use the version dependent progid DOMDocument40 to create an MSXML 4.0 DOMDocument object if your are referencing MSXML 4.0 in your project.
Option Explicit
Dim oDoc As DOMDocument
Dim DOCINPATH As String
Dim XMLOUTPATH As String
Dim DOCOUTPATH As String
Private Sub cmdCreateXML_Click()
Dim oEle As IXMLDOMElement
Dim oRoot As IXMLDOMElement
Dim oNode As IXMLDOMNode
DOCINPATH = App.Path & "\DocInput.doc"
XMLOUTPATH = App.Path & "\XmlOuput.xml"
Call ReleaseObjects
Set oDoc = New DOMDocument
oDoc.resolveExternals = True
' Create processing instruction and document root
Set oNode = oDoc.createProcessingInstruction("xml", "version='1.0'")
Set oNode = oDoc.insertBefore(oNode, oDoc.childNodes.Item(0))
' Create document root
Set oRoot = oDoc.createElement("Root")
Set oDoc.documentElement = oRoot
oRoot.setAttribute "xmlns:dt", "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:datatypes"
' Add a few simple nodes with different datatypes
Set oNode = oDoc.createElement("Document")
oNode.Text = "Demo"
oRoot.appendChild oNode
Set oNode = oDoc.createElement("CreateDate")
oRoot.appendChild oNode
Set oEle = oNode
' Use DataType so MSXML will validate the data type
oEle.dataType = "date"
oEle.nodeTypedValue = Now
Set oNode = oDoc.createElement("bgColor")
oRoot.appendChild oNode
Set oEle = oNode
' Use DataType so MSXML will validate the data type
oEle.dataType = "bin.hex"
oEle.Text = &HFFCCCC
Set oNode = oDoc.createElement("Data")
oRoot.appendChild oNode
Set oEle = oNode
' Use DataType so MSXML will validate the data type
oEle.dataType = "bin.base64"
' Read in the data
oEle.nodeTypedValue = ReadBinData(DOCINPATH)
' Save xml file
oDoc.save XMLOUTPATH
MsgBox XMLOUTPATH & " is created for you."
End Sub
Function ReadBinData(ByVal strFileName As String) As Variant
Dim lLen As Long
Dim iFile As Integer
Dim arrBytes() As Byte
Dim lCount As Long
Dim strOut As String
'Read from disk
iFile = FreeFile()
Open strFileName For Binary Access Read As iFile
lLen = FileLen(strFileName)
ReDim arrBytes(lLen - 1)
Get iFile, , arrBytes
Close iFile
ReadBinData = arrBytes
End Function
Private Sub WriteBinData(ByVal strFileName As String)
Dim iFile As Integer
Dim arrBuffer() As Byte
Dim oNode As IXMLDOMNode
If Not (oDoc Is Nothing) Then
' Get the data
Set oNode = oDoc.documentElement.selectSingleNode("/Root/Data")
' Make sure you use a byte array instead of variant
arrBuffer = oNode.nodeTypedValue
' Write to disk
iFile = FreeFile()
Open strFileName For Binary Access Write As iFile
Put iFile, , arrBuffer
Close iFile
End If
End Sub
Private Sub cmdGetBinary_Click()
DOCOUTPATH = App.Path & "\DocOutput.doc"
Set oDoc = New DOMDocument
If oDoc.Load(XMLOUTPATH) = True Then
' Save the Doc as another file
WriteBinData DOCOUTPATH
MsgBox DOCOUTPATH & " is created for you."
Else
MsgBox oDoc.parseError.reason
End If
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
ReleaseObjects
End Sub
Private Sub ReleaseObjects()
Set oDoc = Nothing
End Sub
- Create a Microsoft Word document with some arbitrary content and name it DocInput.doc.
- Save this Word file in the same folder as your project.
- Run the project and click the cmdCreateXML button.
An XML file named XmlOuput.xml is created.
- Click the cmdGetBinary button and a Word file called DocOutput.doc is created.
For more information about developing Web-based solutions for Microsoft Internet Explorer, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
XML Data Types Reference:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms256049(VS.80).aspx
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms256049(VS.80).aspx)