>>>>>>Cloning was the way to go. This is the new code. However, I would like to know why I have to clone to avoid this situation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>

>>>>>>        ' Get a XML node attribute
>>>>>>        ' expC1 Node
>>>>>>        ' expC2 Attribute
>>>>>>        Public Function GetXMLNodeAttributeValue(ByVal tcNode As String, ByVal tcAttribute As String) As Boolean
>>>>>>            Dim llFound As Boolean = False
>>>>>>            Dim loAttribute As XmlAttribute = Nothing
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' Reset the values
>>>>>>            cMessage = ""
>>>>>>            cNodeAttribute = ""
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' If we have a content
>>>>>>            If Not oXmlAttributeCollection Is Nothing Then
>>>>>>                oXmlAttributeCollection.RemoveAll()
>>>>>>            End If
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' Select the node
>>>>>>            If oXmlNameSpaceManager Is Nothing Then
>>>>>>                oXmlNode = oXmlDocument.SelectSingleNode(tcNode)
>>>>>>            Else
>>>>>>                oXmlNode = oXmlDocument.SelectSingleNode(tcNode, oXmlNameSpaceManager)
>>>>>>            End If
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' If the node does not exist
>>>>>>            If oXmlNode Is Nothing Then
>>>>>>                cMessage = oApp.StrTran(cNodeDoesNotExist, "##Node##", tcNode)
>>>>>>                Return False
>>>>>>            End If
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' Assign the new attributes to this object
>>>>>>            oXmlAttributeCollection = oXmlNode.Clone.Attributes
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' Scan the attribute collection
>>>>>>            For Each loAttribute In oXmlNode.Attributes
>>>>>>
>>>>>>                ' If this is the one
>>>>>>                If UCase(loAttribute.Name) = UCase(tcAttribute) Then
>>>>>>                    cNodeAttribute = loAttribute.Value
>>>>>>                    llFound = True
>>>>>>                    Exit For
>>>>>>                End If
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            Next
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            ' If we did not find it
>>>>>>            If Not llFound Then
>>>>>>                cMessage = oApp.StrTran(cAttributeDoesNotExist, "##Attribute##", tcAttribute)
>>>>>>                Return False
>>>>>>            End If
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            Return True
>>>>>>        End Function
>>>>>>

Well, you certainly shouldn't have to clone (assuming the XmlDocument and the NameSpaceManager do not change - but since the method references objects which are external it's a bit difficult to know what else might be going on.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I think the way it is written, he has to clone
>>>>
>>>>Better would be to take this part out
>>>>

>>>> ' If we have a content
>>>>>            If Not oXmlAttributeCollection Is Nothing Then
>>>>>                oXmlAttributeCollection.RemoveAll()
>>>>>            End If
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>Then he doesn't need cloning at all
>>>
>>>But the relevance of oXmlAttributeCollection is not obvious in the listing - and not used at all in the search ?
>>>In essence:

    private static bool GetXMLNodeAttributeValue(string tcNode, string tcAttribute)
>>>    {
>>>      var v = oXmlDocument.SelectSingleNode(tcNode);
>>>      if (v == null) return false;
>>>
>>>     foreach (XmlAttribute a in v.Attributes)
>>>     {
>>>       if (a.Name.ToUpper() == tcAttribute.ToUpper())
>>>         return true;
>>>     }
>>>      return false;
>>>    }

>>>Why do you believe .Clone is needed ?
>>>But you're right in that the .RemoveAll is not neccessary.....
>>
>>
>>Clone is needed because he saves the last node used in oXmlAttributeCollection and
>>at the beginning of the method he writes oXmlAttributeCollection.RemoveAll()
>>
>>So, instead of just clearing the reference ( setting it to null or Nothing), he uses RemoveAll() on the saved reference. If you work like that you need cloning
>>
>>It's not clear to me why he needs oXmlAttributeCollection in the first place. But, like you said, it's difficult without knowing the whole picture
>
>Would oXmlAttributeCollection only be relevant if it was a reference to the attribute collections of tcNode itself ?


For the problem described - I think so

But in any case, the second call to the method modifies the XmlDocument which- I believe - is not intended