Write element value to an XML in Python

Question

I have a text file containing a key=value pairs. I have another XML file which contains the "key" as "Source" Node and "value" as "Destination Node".

<message>
   <Source>key</Source>
   <Destination>value</Destination>
</message>

Suppose, I get a new text file containing the same keys but different values, how do I go about changing the XML file using the minidom ?

Can this be possible?

Katriel · Accepted Answer · 2010-08-23 13:20:55Z

2

It would be easier to regenerate the XML file than to modify it in place:

from xml.dom.minidom import Document

doc = Document( )
root = doc.createElement( "root" )

for key, value in <some iterator>:
    message = doc.createElement( "message" )

    source = doc.createElement( "Source" )
    source.appendChild( doc.createTextNode( key ) )

    dest = doc.createElement( "Destination" )
    dest.appendChild( doc.createTextNode( value ) )

    message.appendChild( source )
    message.appendChild( dest )
    root.appendChild( message )

doc.appendChild( root )

print( doc.toprettyxml( ) )

This will print:

<root>
    <message>
        <Source>
            key
        </Source>
        <Destination>
            value
        </Destination>
    </message>
</root>

You could use e.g. configparser to read the file; you may have a better way.

edited Aug 23, 2010 at 13:20

answered Aug 23, 2010 at 11:39

Katriel

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1 Comment

Skilldrick Over a year ago

And then doc.writexml(pythonfileobject) or something similar... docs.python.org/library/xml.dom.minidom.html

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