Large XML Parsing in C#: XSD, XLINQ, or XmlReader – Which Approach Wins for Memory Efficiency?

Parsing Large XML in C# Code: Weighing XSD vs XLINQ

When faced with parsing large XML documents, C# developers grapple with the choice between several approaches, each with its own memory efficiency implications.

XML Serialization vs XSD

XML Serialization and XSD-generated bindings provide a convenient and structured way to map XML to C# objects. However, these approaches rely on caching the entire XML document in memory, which can be problematic for large files.

XmlReader vs Hand-crafted Objects

XmlReader offers a forward-only stream-based approach, consuming less memory than DOM parsers. However, it requires a meticulous hand-crafted object graph to capture the XML's structure.

XLINQ: A Slick Alternative

XLINQ emerges as a compromise between the two. It provides a lightweight object-oriented API for manipulating XML, avoiding the overhead of DOM while allowing for efficient streaming.

Memory Considerations

• XML Serialization/XSD: Highest memory usage due to in-memory caching of the entire XML document.
• XmlReader/Hand-crafted Objects: Lowest memory usage, but requires careful memory management.
• XLINQ: Moderate memory usage, providing a balance between convenience and efficiency.

Solution Recommendation

For large XML documents (e.g., your estimated 150 MB extract), XmlReader with a hand-crafted object graph is recommended. This approach offers the best memory efficiency while enabling a flexible and customizable parsing process.

Sample Code using XmlReader:

using (XmlReader myReader = XmlReader.Create(@"c:\data\coords.xml"))
{
    while (myReader.Read())
    {
        // Process each node (myReader.Value) here
        // ...
    }
}

Reference:

• How to read XML from a file by using Visual C#

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