Linq to Xml question: struggling with a simple example

I am attempting to use XML for some simple formatting and embedded links. I'm trying to parse the XML using Linq to Xml, but I'm struggling with parsing a text "Value" with embedded elements in it. For example, this might be a piece of XML I want to parse:

<description>A plain <link ID="1">table</link> with a green hat on it.</description>

Essentially, I want to enumerate through the "Runs" in the Value of the description node. In the above example, there would be a text node with a value of "A plain ", followed by a "link" element, whose value is "table", followed by another text node whose value is " with the green hat on it.".

How do I do this? I tried enumerating the root XElement's Elements() enumeration, but that only returned the link element, as did Descendants(). DescendantNod开发者_开发技巧es() did return all the nodes, but it also returned the subnodes of the link elements. In this case, a text node containing "table", in addition to the element that contained it.

You'll need to access the Nodes() method, check the XmlNodeType, and cast as appropriate to access each object's properties and methods.

For example:

var xml = XElement.Parse(@"<description>A plain <link ID=""1"">table</link> with a green hat on it.</description>");

foreach (var node in xml.Nodes())
{
    Console.WriteLine("Type: " + node.NodeType);
    Console.WriteLine("Object: " + node);
    if (node.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element)
    {
        var e = (XElement)node;
        Console.WriteLine("Name: " + e.Name);
        Console.WriteLine("Value: " + e.Value);
    }
    else if (node.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
    {
        var t = (XText)node;
        Console.WriteLine(t.Value);
    }
    Console.WriteLine();
}

XElement.Nodes() will enumerate only the top level child nodes.

Just use the Nodes() method on your description element.

var xmlStr = @"<description>A plain <link ID=""1"">table</link> with a green hat on it.</description>";
var descriptionElement = XElement.Parse(xmlStr);
var nodes = descriptionElement.Nodes();
foreach (var node in nodes)
    Console.WriteLine("{0}\t\"{1}\"", node.NodeType, node);

Yields:

Text    "A plain "
Element "<link ID="1">table</link>"
Text    " with a green hat on it."