Private dt As System.Data.DataTable
 
    Private Function getDataTable() As System.Data.DataTable
        Dim dt As New System.Data.DataTable("AV_STK")
        Dim col0 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("STK_TEILNR", _
          GetType(System.String))
        col0.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Dim col1 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("BANR", GetType( _
          System.String))
        col1.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Dim col2 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("STK_PD_NUM", _
          GetType(System.String))
        col2.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Dim col3 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("STK_STUECK", _
          GetType(System.String))
        col3.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Dim col4 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("STK_BEST_TEXT", _
          GetType(System.String))
        col4.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        '....
        Dim col17 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("STK_ZEICHNUNG", _
          GetType(System.String))
        col17.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Dim col18 As System.Data.DataColumn = dt.Columns.Add("BlockID", GetType( _
          System.String))
        col18.DefaultValue = String.Empty
 
        Return dt
    End Function

'...
 dt.WriteXml(XML_File)
'...

Dim newdt As DataTable = dt.Select(?????????)

mfg.

Dirk