where to start

now if i clear this first... please dont post any code in this thread, i want to learn the code without being told.

a project i have just started, will have a open button, so the user can select an npj file. the npj file contains xml data like so

Code:

<WAYPOINT_LIST>
		<ID>8</ID>
		<NAME>WPList</NAME>
		<FOLDER>WPList Folder</FOLDER>
		<MEMBERS></MEMBERS>
		<COLOR>00000000</COLOR>
	</WAYPOINT_LIST>
	<WAYPOINT_LIST>
		<ID>9</ID>
		<NAME>WPList</NAME>
		<FOLDER>WPList Folder</FOLDER>
		<MEMBERS></MEMBERS>
		<COLOR>00000000</COLOR>
	</WAYPOINT_LIST>
	<AI>
		<ID>1710</ID>
		<NAME>[Cindo03] -- Indonesian Civilian #3 Male</NAME>
		<TYPE_ID>2067</TYPE_ID>
		<UNSEL_COLOR>FF00</UNSEL_COLOR>
		<DESCRIPTION>[Cindo03] -- Indonesian Civilian #3 Male</DESCRIPTION>
		<POSITION>
			<X>-755.461548</X>
			<Z>-1422.528076</Z>
		</POSITION>
		<TEAM>2</TEAM>
		<ACCURACY1>75</ACCURACY1>
		<ACCURACY2>100</ACCURACY2>
		<FIRE_TIMER>5</FIRE_TIMER>
		<VISION_RANGE>100</VISION_RANGE>
		<MIN_ATTACK>0</MIN_ATTACK>
		<MAX_ATTACK>100</MAX_ATTACK>
		<ALERT_STATE>2</ALERT_STATE>
	</AI>
	<AI>
		<ID>1711</ID>
		<NAME>[Cindo03] -- Indonesian Civilian #3 Male (1)</NAME>
		<TYPE_ID>2067</TYPE_ID>
		<UNSEL_COLOR>FF00</UNSEL_COLOR>
		<DESCRIPTION>[Cindo03] -- Indonesian Civilian #3 Male (1)</DESCRIPTION>
		<POSITION>
			<X>-760.761108</X>
			<Z>-1422.518066</Z>
		</POSITION>
		<TEAM>2</TEAM>
		<ACCURACY1>75</ACCURACY1>
		<ACCURACY2>100</ACCURACY2>
		<FIRE_TIMER>5</FIRE_TIMER>
		<VISION_RANGE>100</VISION_RANGE>
		<MIN_ATTACK>0</MIN_ATTACK>
		<MAX_ATTACK>100</MAX_ATTACK>
		<ALERT_STATE>2</ALERT_STATE>
	</AI>

now when the user clicks to open the file, i would like a combo box to display the "description" of all of the AI's in the npj file
eg

Code:

[Cindo03] -- Indonesian Civilian #3 Male (1)

if the user selects the above AI in the list, and then clicks a generate script button, it would output that particular AI's ID. in this case "1711"


now please dont tell me how to do this, but please could you tell me what i need to go away and revise.. databases? .. to be honest im lost with the whole "open a file and display its contents"

i know how to create a file by a user clicking a button... if you would need to know what level im at with this to help me, here is a basic program i made

http://www.freewebs.com/theworldofbr...athermanV2.zip

Do you know how to open a file? If not, google for "ifstream". If yes, sorry, my under-estimation.

no i dont know how to open a file... but thats the kid of answer im after , thankyou

would rather experianced people say " go learn about ...." rather than tellin me how to do it

Btw. how can you import a picture in visual c++ express edition??
it's kinda weird

I think you want an xml parser. Have a look at tinyxml.
or if you're using the .net framework, look at their xml classes, and lookup XPATH queries