parsing large xml file with python

Question

xml file example:

<header>
<name>name</name>

<items>

<item>
<title>title</title>
<add>add</add>
</item>

<item>
<title>title</title>
<add>add</add>
</item>

</items>
</header>

I would like to parse the info into groups broken up by each header and subgroup item:

xml parse too:

name
----title
----add

----title
----add

next header

name
----tile
----add
----etc
----etc

if someone could post an example, preferable with elem tree iterparse its a large xml file...

my example that doesn't work is...

import xml.etree.cElementTree as etree
infile = open("c:/1.xml", 'r')
context = etree.iterparse(infile, events=("start", "end"))

for event, element in context:
    if event == "end":
        if element.tag == "header":
            print element.findtext('name')
        elif element.tag == "item":
            print element.findtext('title')
            print element.findtext('add')

You need to start by reading the documentation and trying to solve the problem on your own, then come back and show us what you've tried and where it's failing. — larsks
– larsks, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 15:22
You should take a look at docs.python.org/2/library/xml.etree.elementtree.html (Its part of python) — user1971598
– user1971598, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 15:24
To further larsks comment, What are you trying to parse it into? do you just want it to print, do you want to store as a string, should it be a dictionary of lists... — Chris Clarke
– Chris Clarke, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 15:28
@ larsks - I have tried to do it... figured no need to post my code since its a mess and doesn't work... — Lunatixz
– Lunatixz, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 15:59
@ Chris, just a print is fine... I would have no problems using it from that point... my problem is parsing the groups... — Lunatixz
– Lunatixz, Commented Aug 16, 2013 at 15:59

Chris Clarke · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-27 14:50:36Z

3

So, nice and simply, with the infile you provided:

import xml.etree.cElementTree as etree

for event, element in etree.iterparse("C:/1.xml"):
    if element.tag == "name":
        print element.text
    elif element.tag in ["title", "add"]:
        print "---" + element.text

this gives output:

name
----title
----add
----title
----add

I guess if you wanted a spacer between headers you'd just:

if element.tag == "header":
    print "\n"

edited Aug 27, 2015 at 14:50

answered Jan 10, 2014 at 15:56

Chris Clarke

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1 Comment

Nearoo Over a year ago

...doesn't work, at least for python 2.7 - the entire file is loaded still.

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