MSXML problems

[FunkyGibbon]

We currebtly run our online publishing processes using VB, MSXML parser and the source data in XML.

All works smoothly until sysadmins install software on the server (not the sysadmins fault!), such as service packs, Sophos AV upgrade, backup software upgrade, etc.
More ane more software packages now have a dependency on the MSXML parser, so include a version with the install.

If MSXML gets "upgraded/changed" from the one our VB code is expecting the system can fail - even though the VB code is calling specfic DOM versions.

Does anyone have any experience of another XML parser that we can call from VB (and in the near future VB.Net).

TIA

[Plotloss]

There must be someone somewhere running Xerces (the Java parser) in an MS development environment.

[pdV6]

Hooray for backwards compatibility! Nice one Microsoft!

It's a right royal PITA, isn't it?

[JonRB]

Plotloss said:

There must be someone somewhere running Xerces (the Java parser) in an MS development environment.

I've used Xerces under C++ on a MS platform quite a lot. No experience with VB though.

I don't see why you're having problems. MSXML is a COM object and as such is guaranteed to be backwardly-compatatible (so long as MS play by the rules and only augment or add interfaces rather than changing or removing them).

What code is failing and with what error?

[pdV6]

JonRB said:

(so long as MS play by the rules)

In our case, I can't remember the specific problems, but we are basically stuck on MSXML3 as any newer versions break legacy code.

[JonRB]

Well, MS did invent COM so I would have hoped they'd have played by the rules.

There's no reason why MSXML3 and MSXML4 can't co-exist on the same system. If your legacy code is continuing to use the MSXML3 interface then it should continue to work.

Or am I missing something?

[Plotloss]

Just a thought (not used MSXML) but are there different point releases for specifc standards?

I would expect major release 4 to be an extension of 3 but the possibility of a 3.1 being different is not un MS like.

Is your code using specific features of the parser that have perhaps changed?

[FunkyGibbon]

FunkyGibbon said:

If MSXML gets "upgraded/changed" from the one our VB code is expecting the system can fail - even though the VB code is calling specfic DOM versions.

Just found out from our developers that they haven't been calling the specific DOM versions (MSXML3 is the one they want) - just the default interface (so they get what they are given).

24hrs down time 'cause they've been a bit shoddy, and blamed it on sysadmins

So, I'll now be off to do a bit of whilst they do a bit of

Thanks for the replies.

FG

[JonRB]

FunkyGibbon said:

Just found out from our developers that they haven't been calling the specific DOM versions (MSXML3 is the one they want) - just the default interface (so they get what they are given).

D'Oh! I was going to say that but your original post was so adamant that they were making a versioned request that I ended deleting that paragraph and didn't post it.

Bloody VB developers - so slap-dash and shoddy.