Get data from a SharePoint 2010 list and generate a hierarchical XML file that can be used as a data source for a Flash movie on a site without SharePoint Designer by building a console application that can be launched from a button on a page or from a workflow.

In effect your app needs to perform the following automation tasks:

  • Get a flat XML file of the data
  • Convert the flat XML file into a hierarchical file
  • Save the file as an XML document and upload it to a SharePoint document library

Step 1 – Get data to a flat XML file
The first step is to get data from a SharePoint list and store it as XML in memory. This could be done in one of several ways: SPList class and a CAML SPList class and LINQ query, Web Services, GetListItems, or the URL protocol of the RPC method. This solution will use URL Protocol, because it’s a simple and transparent way to access the data. This step also needs to:

  • Get the XML output from a special View of the list rather than the default view of the list, so all of the columns can be shown all of the time without affecting data entry or management
  • Trim off any extraneous characters from the values that come from SharePoint lists, like dates, URLs, or strings delimited with “;#”
  • Resolve a potential SP2010 security exception when accessing from the localhost
  • Build a valid URL to the document, regardless of whether it is a PDF or a Web link
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
// used for uploading - clientcontext and memorystream
using Microsoft.SharePoint.Client;
using System.IO;
namespace PMGDialXML
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Use the URL protocol of the RPC method to get data from
// the "XML Generator View" which displays all of the fields
string sUrl = "http://rootweb/site/subsite/_vti_bin/owssvr.dll?Cmd=Display&List={E3DFD89F-4DA3-4418-8674-D692B59CCBC4}&View={4E44F267-C5F7-42B6-8871-0194604177EA}&XMLDATA=TRUE";
// Resolve a potential SP2010 security exception when accessing from the localhost
XmlUrlResolver xmlResolver = new XmlUrlResolver();
xmlResolver.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials;
XmlReaderSettings xmlReaderSettings = new XmlReaderSettings();
xmlReaderSettings.XmlResolver = xmlResolver;
// Define LINQ Namespace objects (System.XML.Linq)
XNamespace s = "uuid:BDC6E3FA-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882";
XNamespace dt = "uuid:C2F41030-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882";
XNamespace rs = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset";
XNamespace z = "#RowsetSchema";
// Get the list XML (System.XML)
XDocument sUrlDoc = XDocument.Load(XmlReader.Create(sUrl, xmlReaderSettings));
// Store fields returned from owssrv in a new XML variable
var xVar = new XElement(
  "vWorkflows", sUrlDoc.Root.Descendants(z + "row").Select(r => new XElement("vSection",
      new XAttribute("sectionTitle", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_SectionTitle").Value)),
      new XAttribute("sectionId", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_SectionID").Value)),
      new XAttribute("show", (r.Attribute("ows_ShowOrHide").Value)),
      new XElement("vCategory",
        new XAttribute("catTitle", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_CategoryTitle").Value)),
        new XAttribute("catRef", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_CategoryID").Value)),
        new XElement("vType",
          new XAttribute("typeTitle", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_TypeTitle").Value)),
          new XAttribute("typeRef", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_TypeID").Value)),
          new XElement("vLink",
            new XAttribute("linkNum", ""),
            new XElement("linkTitle", TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_Document").Value)),
            new XElement("linkUrl", WhatsUpDoc(TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_Document_x003a_FileName").Value) + ";" + TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_Dial_x0020_Title_x003a_DocumentU").Value))),
            new XElement("linkSummary", ""),
            new XElement("linkKeywords", ""),
            new XElement("pubDate", TrimDate(TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_Document_x003a_PublishDate").Value))),
            new XElement("lastUpdate", TrimDate(TrimValue(r.Attribute("ows_Document_x003a_LastUpdated").Value)))
          )
        )
      )
    )
  )
);
C#

Step 2 – Construct hierarchical XML document
Read (aka query) the in-memory XML and reconstruct the a collection of elements and attributes into a hierarchical XML output using LINQ to XML. Note that the results of one LINQ query expression can be the input of another LINQ expression. Code it in a way that matched up with the XML output to make it easier for those that follow. And a few other things:

If item is set to “Show” in the list then show it, otherwise hide it.
Sort the output by SectionId rather than by SectionTitle to conform to the SWF design and match the existing XML exactly

// Create new hierarchical XML document from the flat XML variable
XDocument xDoc = new XDocument(
  new XDeclaration("1.0", "utf-8", "yes"),
  new XComment("XML Source Data for Dial Flash"),
  new XElement("workflows",
    from sec in xVar.Elements("vSection")
    where (string)sec.Attribute("show").Value == "Show"
    orderby (string)sec.Attribute("sectionId").Value ascending
    group sec by new {
      secT = (string)sec.Attribute("sectionTitle").Value,
      secId = (string)sec.Attribute("sectionId").Value
    } into gsec
    select new XElement("section",
      new XAttribute("sectionTitle", gsec.Key.secT),
      new XAttribute("sectionId", gsec.Key.secId),
      from cat in gsec.Elements("vCategory")
      orderby (string)cat.Attribute("catTitle").Value ascending
      group cat by new {
        catT = (string)cat.Attribute("catTitle").Value,
        catId = (string)cat.Attribute("catRef").Value
      } into gcat
      select new XElement("category",
        new XAttribute("catTitle", gcat.Key.catT),
        new XAttribute("catRef", gcat.Key.catId),
        from typ in gcat.Elements("vType")
        orderby (string)typ.Attribute("typeTitle").Value ascending
        group typ by new {
          typT = (string)typ.Attribute("typeTitle").Value,
          typId = (string)typ.Attribute("typeRef").Value,
        } into gtyp
        select new XElement("type",
          new XAttribute("typeTitle", gtyp.Key.typT),
          new XAttribute("typeRef", gtyp.Key.typId),
          from lnk in gtyp.Elements("vLink")
          orderby (string)lnk.Attribute("linkNum").Value ascending
          group lnk by new {
            linN = (string)lnk.Attribute("linkNum").Value,
            linT = (string)lnk.Element("linkTitle").Value,
            linU = (string)lnk.Element("linkUrl").Value,
            linS = (string)lnk.Element("linkSummary").Value,
            linK = (string)lnk.Element("linkKeywords").Value,
            pubD = (string)lnk.Element("pubDate").Value,
            lasU = (string)lnk.Element("lastUpdate").Value
          } into glnk
          select new XElement("link",
            new XAttribute("linkNum", glnk.Key.linN),
            new XElement("linkTitle", glnk.Key.linT),
            new XElement("linkUrl", glnk.Key.linU),
            new XElement("linkSummary", glnk.Key.linS),
            new XElement("linkKeywords", glnk.Key.linK),
            new XElement("pubDate", glnk.Key.pubD),
            new XElement("lastUpdate", glnk.Key.lasU)
          )
        )
      )
    )
  )
);
C#

Yep, there’s another way to do it that groups the top level, but we won’t do that here. It looks something like this …

// Alternate way to do it
var query = xVar.Elements("vSection").
OrderBy(grp => (string)grp.Attribute("sectionTitle").Value).
GroupBy(grp => (string)grp.Attribute("sectionTitle")).
Select(grp => new XElement("section", grp.First().Attributes(),
  grp.Select(vsec => new XElement("category",
      vsec.Element("vCategory").Attributes(),
      vsec.Element("vCategory").Elements()
    )
    )
  )
);
var xml = new XElement("workflows", query);
C#

Step 3. Save XML document to document library
This is where the Client Object Model comes in. You’ll also use System.IO for memorystream.

// Save XML Document to a string
string upDoc = xDoc.ToString();
// Upload XML Document to a SharePoint Document Library
UploadXmlFile(upDoc);
public static void UploadXmlFile(string xmlContent)
{
  // Define the site, library and file variables
  string webUrl = "http://whatevertheroot.dot",
  siteUrl = "/site/subsite/subsubsite",
  libraryName = "documents",
  fileName = "swf_file.xml";
  // Instantiate the site
  ClientContext clientContext = new ClientContext(webUrl + siteUrl);
  // Process the XML file
  using (MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
  {
  // Write the file XML contents into a MemoryStream object ...
  StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(memoryStream);
  writer.Write(xmlContent);
  writer.Flush();
  memoryStream.Position = 0;
  // ... and save it in the Document Library (set to "true" to overwrite the file)
  Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.File.SaveBinaryDirect(clientContext, siteUrl + "/" + libraryName + "/" + fileName, memoryStream, true);
  }
}
C#

Results
This code feeds a Flash movie that allows users to dial in on documents by a predefined taxonomy on a SharePoint site. What once required hours of manual XML file edits and uploads can now be done in one click, and the door is now open to automating the entire document upload, approval and management process using workflows and InfoPath web forms. Presumably, this kind of approach can also be used with other kinds of animated web parts that use XML as a data source.