Parsing XML Feedback with Python

The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup format initially for XML. Some corporations use XML as a knowledge serialization format or for configuration. Just lately, I wanted to learn to uncomment some strains in an XML file to allow some settings that have been outlined within the XML.

Thankfully, Python’s xml module offers a approach to do that. Let’s learn how!

AI Solutions May Not Work

Once I used Google to seek for a solution to this query: “The best way to edit feedback in XML with Python”, Google Gemini piped up with this reply:

import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

xml_file = "PATH_TO_XML"

tree = ET.parse(xml_file)
root = tree.getroot()

for ingredient in root.iter():
    if isinstance(ingredient.tag, str) and ingredient.tag.startswith('{'):
        proceed
    if ingredient.tag == ET.Remark:
        textual content = ingredient.textual content.strip()
        print(textual content)

Sadly, this code doesn’t work. However it’s shut.

In case you look by StackOverflow and comparable boards, you’ll uncover that you just want a customized parser. Right here’s methods to create one:

import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

xml_file = r"PATH_TO_XML"

parser = ET.XMLParser(goal=ET.TreeBuilder(insert_comments=True))
tree = ET.parse(xml_file, parser)
root = tree.getroot()

for ingredient in root.iter():
    if isinstance(ingredient.tag, str) and ingredient.tag.startswith('{'):
        proceed

    if ingredient.tag == ET.Remark:
        textual content = ingredient.textual content.strip()        
        print(textual content)

The important thing level right here is to create an occasion of ET.XMLParser and set insert_comments to True. Then the code will work.

Observe that this instance simply prints out the commented textual content. You would want to do one thing like this to seize the commented textual content and reinsert it as a legitimate XML ingredient:

for ingredient in root.iter():
   if isinstance(ingredient.tag, str) and ingredient.tag.startswith('{'):
      proceed
   if ingredient.tag == ET.Remark:
      textual content = ingredient.textual content.strip()
      if "COMMENTED CODE SUBSTRING" in textual content:
         new_element = ET.fromstring(f"<{textual content}>")
         # Insert the uncommented textual content as a brand new XML ingredient
         root.insert(checklist(root).index(ingredient), new_element)
         # Take away the ingredient that was commented out initially
         root.take away(ingredient)

# Make indentation work for the output
ET.indent(tree, area="t", stage=0)

with open(XML_PATH, "wb") as f:
   tree.write(f)

Right here, you loop over every ingredient or tag within the XML. You examine if the ingredient is a remark kind. Whether it is, you examine for the substring you’re searching for within the remark’s textual content. While you discover the substring, you extract the whole string from the remark, create a brand new ingredient, insert it as an everyday ingredient, and take away the remark.

Wrapping Up

XML is a helpful format, and Python consists of a number of completely different strategies of working with XML in its xml module. A number of completely different third-party XML modules, akin to lxml, are additionally nice alternate options. In case you work with XML, hopefully you can see this text useful.

Have enjoyable and joyful coding!