Parse mutliple lines as VALUE in XML

[Jerry Muelver]

I can't get xmlParser to show element values if the value is a multi-line CDATA entry:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!-- ZuluPad Document -->
<ZuluDoc>
   <date>1197130393</date>
   <docname>
       <![CDATA[]]>
</docname>
   <index>
       <name>Index Page</name>
       <content>
           <![CDATA[Home page

First page
Second page
]]>
</content>
   </index>
   <content>
       <page>
           <name>
               <![CDATA[First page]]>
</name>
           <content>
               <![CDATA[First page

text here

Link to Second page]]>
</content>
       </page>
       <page>
           <name>
               <![CDATA[Second page]]>
</name>
           <content>
               <![CDATA[Second page

Text here

Link to First page
]]>
</content>
       </page>
   </content>
</ZuluDoc>

I can't read that and get anything that's not on the same line as the key, even if I concatenate the lines with LINE INPUT:

 open "zfmin.zulu" for input as #f
while not(eof(#f))
line input #f, a$
s$ = s$ + a$
wend
print s$
 close #f
 xmlparser #doc, s$
 print #doc key$()
 call displayElements #doc, ""
 end

sub displayElements #xmlDoc, indent$
 indent$ = indent$ + "    "
 count = #xmlDoc elementCount()
 for x = 1 to count
   #elem = #xmlDoc #element(x)
   print indent$; "Key: "; #elem key$();
   value$ = #elem value$()
   if value$ <> "" then
     print " Value: "; value$;
   end if
   print
   call displayElements #elem, indent$
 next x
end sub

I get this:

ZuluDoc
   Key: date Value: 1197130393
   Key: docname Value:
   Key: index Value:
       Key: name Value: Index Page
       Key: content Value:
   Key: content Value:
       Key: page Value:
           Key: name Value:
           Key: content Value:
       Key: page Value:
           Key: name Value:
           Key: content Value:

Am I expecting something xmlParser is not designed for?

[Jerry Muelver]

I have a set of string-parsing routines that I currently use for importing and picking specific XML docs apart. They're not generic enough to turn loose on just any XML file, though I suppose they could be departicularized (concatenate file to one string, read though to collect and mark position of element tags, collect attributes and values, etc.) for more general use. I just didn't want to have to get into that if it would be a duplication of what xmlParser is supposed to do.

[Jerry Muelver]

It's the CDATA element. Compare this:

 s$ = "<?xml version=""1.0"" ?>
<!-- ZuluPad Document -->
<ZuluDoc>
   <date>1197130393</date>
   <docname>
       <![CDATA[]]>
</docname>
   <index>
       <name>Index Page</name>
       <content>
           <![CDATA[Home page
First page
Second page
]]>
</content>
   </index>
   <content>
       <page>
           <name>
               <![CDATA[First page]]>
</name>
           <content>
               <![CDATA[First page
text here
Link to Second page]]>
</content>
       </page>
       <page>
           <name>
               <![CDATA[Second page]]>
</name>
           <content>
               <![CDATA[Second page
Text here
Link to First page
]]>
</content>
       </page>
   </content>
</ZuluDoc>"
 xmlparser #doc, s$
 print #doc key$()
 call displayElements #doc, ""
 end

sub displayElements #xmlDoc, indent$
 indent$ = indent$ + "    "
 count = #xmlDoc elementCount()
 for x = 1 to count
   #elem = #xmlDoc #element(x)
   print indent$; "Key: "; #elem key$();
   value$ = #elem value$()
   if value$ <> "" then
     print " Value: "; value$;
   end if
   print
   call displayElements #elem, indent$
 next x
end sub

to the same with CDATA removed:

 s$ = "<?xml version=""1.0"" ?>
<!-- ZuluPad Document -->
<ZuluDoc>
   <date>1197130393</date>
   <docname>
       Test One
</docname>
   <index>
       <name>Index Page</name>
       <content>
           Home page
First page
Second page
</content>
   </index>
   <content>
       <page>
           <name>
               First page
</name>
           <content>
               First page
text here
Link to Second page
</content>
       </page>
       <page>
           <name>
               Second page
</name>
           <content>
               Second page
Text here
Link to First page
</content>
       </page>
   </content>
</ZuluDoc>"
 xmlparser #doc, s$
 print #doc key$()
 call displayElements #doc, ""
 end

sub displayElements #xmlDoc, indent$
 indent$ = indent$ + "    "
 count = #xmlDoc elementCount()
 for x = 1 to count
   #elem = #xmlDoc #element(x)
   print indent$; "Key: "; #elem key$();
   value$ = #elem value$()
   if value$ <> "" then
     print " Value: "; value$;
   end if
   print
   call displayElements #elem, indent$
 next x
end sub


[Jerry Muelver]

However, both these records print as expected, even though one has CDATA imposed on it:

 s$ = "<group>
   <customer>
       <name>Fred Jones</name>
       <email>[e-mail]</email>
       <phone>234-3456</phone>
   </customer>
   <customer>
       <name><![CDATA[
Ed Black
]]></name>
       <email>[e-mail]</email>
       <phone>123-2345</phone>
   </customer>
</group>"
 xmlparser #doc, s$
 print #doc key$()
 call displayElements #doc, ""
 end

sub displayElements #xmlDoc, indent$
 indent$ = indent$ + "    "
 count = #xmlDoc elementCount()
 for x = 1 to count
   #elem = #xmlDoc #element(x)
   print indent$; "Key: "; #elem key$();
   value$ = #elem value$()
   if value$ <> "" then
     print " Value: "; value$;
   end if
   print
   call displayElements #elem, indent$
 next x
end sub

So, where does that leave us? Sometimes CDATA screws things up, and sometimes it doesn't.

[carlgundel]

jerrymuelver said:

However, both these records print as expected, even though one has CDATA imposed on it:

 s$ = "<group>
   <customer>
       <name>Fred Jones</name>
       <email>[e-mail]</email>
       <phone>234-3456</phone>
   </customer>
   <customer>
       <name><![CDATA[
Ed Black
]]></name>
       <email>[e-mail]</email>
       <phone>123-2345</phone>
   </customer>
</group>"
 xmlparser #doc, s$
 print #doc key$()
 call displayElements #doc, ""
 end

sub displayElements #xmlDoc, indent$
 indent$ = indent$ + "    "
 count = #xmlDoc elementCount()
 for x = 1 to count
   #elem = #xmlDoc #element(x)
   print indent$; "Key: "; #elem key$();
   value$ = #elem value$()
   if value$ <> "" then
     print " Value: "; value$;
   end if
   print
   call displayElements #elem, indent$
 next x
end sub

So, where does that leave us? Sometimes CDATA screws things up, and sometimes it doesn't.

I'll look into this Jerry. I'm not really up on CDATA, so I need to present this issue to the VisualWorks people since it is their XML parser.

-Carl

[Jerry Muelver]

Thanks, Carl. I'll work around it, for now.