How to close this XML file after reading?

[K Viltersten]

I'm using
XDocument document = XDocument.Load (XmlReader.Create (file));

to load in contents of a XML-file for parsing.
However, i noticed that the file seems to be
locked by the process and i can't save changes
made to it in VS until it ends.

How can i close the file?

 

[Pavel Minaev]

You need to close the reader:

XDocument document;
using (var reader = XmlReader.Create(file))
{
document = XDocument.Load(reader);
}

Assuming that the entire file is parsed in the Load() method, you could
pass it a TextReader instance instead of the filename. Then you've got
access to the i/o object directly and can close it yourself.

He's not passing the filename as it is - he's passing XmlReader already.

It does seem like the XDocument class itself ought to have a Dispose() or
Close(), or maybe just close the source file immediately after parsing. I
might be missing something here.

XDocument.Load(string) does close the file after loading it.
XDocument.Load(XmlReader), which is used in this case, obviously doesn't.

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Assuming that the entire file is parsed in the Load() method, you could
pass it a TextReader instance instead of the filename. Then you've got
access to the i/o object directly and can close it yourself.

It does seem like the XDocument class itself ought to have a Dispose() or
Close(), or maybe just close the source file immediately after parsing. I
might be missing something here.

I think it's the XmlReader which needs to be disposed:

XDocument document;
using (XmlReader reader = XmlReader.Create(file))
{
document = XDocument.Load(reader);
}
....

 

[Pavel Minaev]

I don't know how you know that.

Well, er... let me just repost it:

XDocument.Load(XmlReader.Create(file));

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

[...]

It does seem like the XDocument class itself ought to have a Dispose()
or
Close(), or maybe just close the source file immediately after
parsing. I
might be missing something here.

I think it's the XmlReader which needs to be disposed:

Well, yes...or the TextReader. My second paragraph was more about what
the class should have in it, as opposed to what it actually does have in
it.

But I don't think it should really be up to the XDocument to dispose of
anything in this case. It's not allocating the resources, nor wrapping
them in a permanent way, so I think it's entirely reasonable for the
caller to still "own" them and have to dispose of them.