Скачать или смотреть How to Delete Parent Nodes in XML Using XMLStarlet

Learn how to effectively remove parent nodes in your XML files by identifying specific child values with XMLStarlet, a powerful command-line tool.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66697357/ asked by the user 'Davide Buoso' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8823873/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66697739/ provided by the user 'Cyrus' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3776858/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: XMLStarlet delete parent node

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Delete Parent Nodes in XML Using XMLStarlet

XML is a versatile markup language used in various applications to store and transport data. However, sometimes we find ourselves needing to manipulate XML structures—such as removing unwanted parent nodes based on specific child values. In this guide, we will explore how to use XMLStarlet, a command-line XML toolkit, to delete parent nodes under certain conditions.

The Problem

Imagine you have an XML file containing multiple <tabVisibilities> parent nodes, and you want to remove a specific node that contains a child <tab> with the value "SecondTab". The initial XML structure might look something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Your goal is to achieve the following expected XML output, which excludes the node containing "SecondTab":

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The Solution with XMLStarlet

Getting Started with XMLStarlet

XMLStarlet is a powerful command-line tool that allows you to parse, transform, query, and edit XML documents. To use it for our specific task of deleting the parent node, we need to use its editing capabilities efficiently.

Step-by-Step Guidance

To delete the parent node based on the child value, follow these steps:

Identify the Namespace: Since the XML file provided utilizes namespaces, it's critical to define this when running commands. In our case, the namespace is http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata.

Construct the XMLStarlet Command: Use the following XMLStarlet command to delete the parent node <tabVisibilities> that contains the <tab> with the text "SecondTab":

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

-N ns='...': This option defines the namespace.

--delete: This option specifies that we want to remove the specified element.

//ns:tabVisibilities[ns:tab[contains(text(),'SecondTab')]]: This XPath expression locates the <tabVisibilities> node containing a <tab> child with the text "SecondTab".

Run the Command: Execute the command in your terminal where file.xml is the XML file you want to edit.

Checking Your Output

Upon running the command, you should see an output that resembles the expected XML structure, successfully excluding the unwanted parent node:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Helpful Tip

For more advanced usage and options with XMLStarlet, don’t hesitate to consult the help section by running:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This command provides guidance on all available features and commands for manipulating XML data effectively.

Conclusion

XML manipulations can often seem daunting, especially when dealing with namespaces and condition-based deletions. However, with tools like XMLStarlet, you can simplify these tasks. By following the steps outlined above, you can confidently remove specific parent nodes from your XML files based on their child values. If you encounter further questions or challenges, feel free to leave a comment, and let’s tackle them together!