I'm saying that you have to use SOMETHING to "process" the XML file. MSXML exposes XML documents,schemas, XPath, etc through a COM-based interface to your language.
So you have several layers: how does the language you're using support COM? In other words, you have to use the MSXML Parser, and there are steps involved to do that.
Then you have to decide how you're going to use the parser to interact with your document. You can use SAX or XMLDOM. You can use XPATH, but you have to know how to construct Xpath statements in your language, and how to pass them to the methods exposed by XML Parser, and how to get results back.
But I think the generic answer to your question, is that in Xpath statements, which is the "standard" way of interacting with XML documents, attributes are referenced using the "@" character.
But you certainly don't have to use xpath. You could just as easily do standard file io, looking for the "=" sign. In other words, access attributes however you like!
Or, in .NET, you could use the XMLReader object with its properties such as .HasAttributes and its methods such as .MoveToNextAttribute, reading with .Name and/or .Value. Don't even use a parser, use the built-in reader object.
Your question, "how do I get an attribute" is answered by "it depends... what is doing the getting?"
Thomas D. Greer
Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting
