Python append item to array reading in xml file

Question

I am new to python and learning to read in xml files. Running my code to append the items gives me repeated arrays. I guess it is looping through all the items appending and returning an array each time. I just want one array the array of all the items. What am I doing wrong?

The code is as follows:

countries_im = []
for country in root.findall('./country'):
        data = {
            'name': None,
            'infant_mortality': None
        }
        data['name'] = country.find('./name').text
        data['infant_mortality'] = country.findtext('./infant_mortality')
        if data['infant_mortality'] is not None:
            countries_im.append(data['infant_mortality'])
            print(countries_im)

The result is as follows:

['13.19']
['13.19', '4.78']
['13.19', '4.78', '7.9']
['13.19', '4.78', '7.9', '6.16']
['13.19', '4.78', '7.9', '6.16', '3.69']
['13.19', '4.78', '7.9', '6.16', '3.69', '3.31']

I just want the last array. Thanks for the help

You are printing the array at each step of the for-loop. Move the print statement outside the for-loop. — Cecilia
– Cecilia, Commented Mar 10, 2017 at 20:17

David de la Iglesia · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-10 20:12:42Z

2

Your code is not returning multiple lists. In fact, it is not returning anything. You have only one existing list that is changing it's content via append.

The result you are showing is the output of calling print(countries_im) each time you append an item to the list.

If you change your code to this:

countries_im = []
for country in root.findall('./country'):
        data = {
            'name': None,
            'infant_mortality': None
        }
        data['name'] = country.find('./name').text
        data['infant_mortality'] = country.findtext('./infant_mortality')
        if data['infant_mortality'] is not None:
            countries_im.append(data['infant_mortality'])
print(countries_im)

You will se that the list that you have in memory have all the items appended.

answered Mar 10, 2017 at 20:12

David de la Iglesia

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Comments

MrName · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-10 20:14:36Z

1

If I am understanding correctly, your code is correct, you just need to move the print statement outside of the for loop. In other words, you are printing the same array each time you add something. So, you are ending up with what you want at the end of the for loop (the completed array).

answered Mar 10, 2017 at 20:14

MrName

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2 Comments

Dr. Angus Uche Ogubuike Over a year ago

You are correct. How do I move the print statement outside the loop so that I could print only the last final array?

MrName Over a year ago

Sorry for the delay, please see the answer from @david-de-la-iglesia it is correct.

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