How to retrieve all XPaths from an XML file

[DeDee]

Hi

How can I get all XPaths from an XML file - (any xml file and any xpath)? I see that all functions for XMLs will retrieve data based on XPaths but I did not see any example for getting the XPaths.

What would be the best approach to to this?

Thank you,

[water]

Did you check the >XMLDOM UDF for a suitable function?

[DeDee]

Yes, that was the first thing to check. But, as I said, the functions use XPath as input data, not return data. 

[water]

I see. It wasn't clear to me what you have tried by just writing: "I see that all functions for XMLs ...".

[AdamUL]

Use Notepad++, there is a plug-in called XML Tools.  There is a command "Current XML Path," that will return the XPATH for the node that the cursor is located in.  I use this when I'm writing code to work with XML files.  

 

Adam

[DeDee]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I was not that clear in my initial description  - I need to write an autoit script that will return me the XPaths (to attributes and nodes) from an xml. The script should be able to parse any xml file and send all the XPaths.  

Thanks

[jdelaney]

You'll need to construct them yourself, by recursively traveling inward through the XML.  I'd use _arrayadd, and pass the array through the function, to continually add to it.  Sounds fun.

Use .childNodes, .nodeName, .attributes, etc. (microsoft.xmldom)

Example:

$oXML = ObjCreate("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
$sXML_File = @DesktopDir & "\output.xml"
$oXML.load($sXML_File)

$root = $oXML.documentelement
Global $aXpaths[1]=["\" & $root.nodename]
RecursiveXPath($root,"\" & $root.nodename)
_ArrayDisplay($aXpaths)

Func RecursiveXPath($oCurrentParentNode,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath)
    $oAtts = $oCurrentParentNode.attributes
    For $oAtt In $oAtts
        _ArrayAdd($aXpaths,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "[@" & $oAtt.NodeName & "=" & $oAtt.NodeValue & "]" )
    Next
    $oNodes = $oCurrentParentNode.childNodes
    For $oNode In $oNodes
        If $oNode.nodename = "#text" Then ContinueLoop
        _ArrayAdd($aXpaths,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "\" & $oNode.nodename )
        RecursiveXPath($oNode,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "\" & $oNode.nodename)
    Next
EndFunc

I used a simple xml (an am not exporting the node.text, which would be an easy addition that you can do...

output example:

[0]|employees
[1]|employees[@version=1.0]
[2]|employeesemployee
[3]|employeesemployee[@something=123]
[4]|employeesemployeeperson
[5]|employeesemployeepersonfirstname
[6]|employeesemployeepersonfirstname[@something=124]
[7]|employeesemployeepersonlastname
[8]|employeesemployeepersonlastname[@something=125]
[9]|employeesemployee
[10]|employeesemployeeperson
[11]|employeesemployeepersonfirstname
[12]|employeesemployeepersonfirstname[@something=126]
[13]|employeesemployeepersonlastname

<employees version='1.0'>
    <employee something="123">
        <person>
            <firstname something="124">Tobias</firstname>
            <lastname something="125">Weltner</lastname>
        </person>
    </employee>
    <employee>
        <person>
            <firstname something="126">Two</firstname>
            <lastname>Three</lastname>
        </person>
    </employee>
</employees>

 

Edited April 23, 2014 by jdelaney

[jdelaney]

With text

expandcollapse popup

$oXML = ObjCreate("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
$sXML_File = @DesktopDir & "\output.xml"
$oXML.load($sXML_File)

$root = $oXML.documentelement
Global $aXpaths[1]=["\" & $root.nodename]
RecursiveXPath($root,"\" & $root.nodename)
_ArrayDisplay($aXpaths)

Func RecursiveXPath($oCurrentParentNode,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath)
    $oAtts = $oCurrentParentNode.attributes
    For $oAtt In $oAtts
        _ArrayAdd($aXpaths,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "[@" & $oAtt.NodeName & "=" & $oAtt.NodeValue & "]" )
    Next
    $oNodes = $oCurrentParentNode.childNodes
    For $oNode In $oNodes
        If $oNode.nodename = "#text" Then ContinueLoop
        $sText = XML_GetTextNodeValue($oNode)
        $xpath = $sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "\" & $oNode.nodename
        If StringLen ($sText) > 0 Then
            $xpath &= "[.=" & $sText & "]"
        EndIf
        _ArrayAdd($aXpaths,$xpath)
        RecursiveXPath($oNode,$sCurrentParentNodeXPath & "\" & $oNode.nodename)
    Next
EndFunc

Func XML_GetTextNodeValue($oCallersNode)
    Local $Text=""
    For $oChild In $oCallersNode.childNodes
        If Int($oChild.nodeType)==3 Then
            If StringLen($oChild.nodeValue) > 0 Then
                ConsoleWrite($oChild.nodeValue & @CRLF)
                Return String($oChild.nodeValue)
            EndIf
        EndIf
    Next
    Return $Text
EndFunc

[DeDee]

Thank you, jdelaney

The script works perfectly.