Issues loading data in from xml using TinyXml2 - c++

Question

I am trying to make a function in my application that can load in an object through attributes in an xml file. I would like to use TinyXML2 as I hear it is pretty easy and quick for games.
Currently I have the following xml file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Level>
<Pulsator starttime="0" type="0" higherradius="100" lowerradius="10" time="60" y="500" x="300" bpm="60"/>
</Level>
Each attribute of the Pulsator is a variable in my Pulsator class. I use the followign function to import my Pulsators and add them to an vector of objects.
void Game::LoadLevel(string filename)
{
tinyxml2::XMLDocument level;
level.LoadFile(filename.c_str());
tinyxml2::XMLNode* root = level.FirstChild();
tinyxml2::XMLNode* childNode = root->FirstChild();
while (childNode)
{
Pulsator* tempPulse = new Pulsator();
float bpm;
float type;
std::string::size_type sz;
tinyxml2::XMLElement* data = childNode->ToElement();
string inputdata = data->Attribute("bpm");
bpm = std::stof(inputdata, &sz);
if (type == 0)
{
tempPulse->type = Obstacle;
tempPulse->SetColor(D2D1::ColorF(D2D1::ColorF::Black));
}
if (type == 1)
{
tempPulse->type = Enemy;
tempPulse->SetColor(D2D1::ColorF(D2D1::ColorF::Red));
}
if (type == 2)
{
tempPulse->type = Score;
tempPulse->SetColor(D2D1::ColorF(D2D1::ColorF::Green));
}
else
{
tempPulse->type = No_Type;
}
objects.push_back(tempPulse);
}
}
Every time I get to the root node, it loads in incorrectly and the childnode becomes null.
Am I using this incorrectly or is there an issue with my XML file?

Answer 1

The code doesn't correctly specify the child it wants. You want the first XMLElement, not the first child. To do that, use this code when you get the childNode:
tinyxml2::XMLElement* childNode = root->FirstChildElement();
And that saves you the cast later. (You don't need, and shouldn't use, the ToElement()).