Sharepoint List Data as XML

                         
  When working with the Sharepoint List/Library, sometimes we need the xml specification of the list/library data. A simple example I can give here is like when we are working with a column in the list, later if the name of the column is changed, we will try to get the value using its current name but we can get the result only when we use its original name which was given at the time of column creation.

In that case to find the actual name of the column we can use these steps to know the original name.

This is not only the case where we need the XML data of the list, there are some other cases like when we are working with script to get the sharepoint data from its webservices, we will need this a lot.

These are the steps to find the XML view of a Sharepoint list /library

• 1.      Find the GUID of the list/library
• 2.      Place the GUID Iin XML view link

Step 1: Find the GUID of the list

Go to view all site contentàList settingsà in Url you will find

http://yourservername:port/_layouts/listedit.aspx? 

List=%7BCCD41672%2DD08D%2D41F4%2D88A4%2DD9D8C741B0C6%7D

Replace %7B with “{“, %2D with “–“and   %7D with “}”

So your GUID looks like ={ccd41672-d08d-41f4-88a4-d9d8c741b0c6}.

Get full information here

Step 2: Place your list GUID in this url

http://yourservername: port/_vti_bin/owssvr.dll?Cmd=Display&List={345e3a5e-6855-4ef7-b901-cb3f0a196872}&XMLDATA=TRUE

This is my Document Library

This is the XML view of the library

Here you can see the columns as attributes and the data(items) as Rows with their nodes.

Get more information on this here

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms478653.aspx

As I explained above if you change the name of the column the rs:name will be changed , but the name will be remains same always. 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms947915.aspx

Thanks.