parsing XML configuration file using Etree in python

Question

Please help me parse a configuration file of the below prototype using lxml etree. I tried with for event, element with tostring. Unfortunately I don't need the text, but the XML between

<template name> 
   <config>
 </template>

for a given attribute.

I started with this code, but get a key error while searching for the attribute since it scans from start

config_tree = etree.iterparse(token_template_file)
for event, element in config_tree:

    if element.attrib['name']=="ad auth":
        print ("attrib reached. get XML before child ends")

Since I am a newbie to XML and python, I am not sure how to go about it. Here is the config file:

<Templates>

  <template name="config1">

    <request>

      <password>pass</password>

      <userName>username</userName>

      <appID>someapp</appID>

    </request>

  </template>

  <template name="config2">

    <request>

      <password>pass1</password>

      <userName>username1</userName>

      <appID>someapp</appID>

    </request>

  </template>

</Templates>

Thanks in advance!

Expected Output:

Say the user requests the config2- then the output should look like:

   <request>

      <password>pass1</password>

      <userName>username1</userName>

      <appID>someapp</appID>

    </request>

(I send this XML using httplib2 to a server for initial authentication)

FINAL CODE:

thanks to FC and Constantnius. Here is the final code:

    config_tree = etree.parse(token_template_file)
    for template in config_tree.iterfind("template"):

        if template.get("name") == "config2":
            element = etree.tostring(template.find("request"))

            print (template.get("name"))
            print (element)

output:

     config2

    <request>

         <password>pass1</password>

          <userName>username1</userName>

          <appID>someapp</appID>

    </request>

I don't get it, what should be the output you expect?

Facundo Casco
– Facundo Casco

2011-08-18 13:48:03 +00:00
Commented Aug 18, 2011 at 13:48 — Facundo Casco
– Facundo Casco, Commented Aug 18, 2011 at 13:48
Hey FC, just added requested output.

sunnysideup
– sunnysideup

2011-08-18 13:52:27 +00:00
Commented Aug 18, 2011 at 13:52 — sunnysideup
– sunnysideup, Commented Aug 18, 2011 at 13:52

Constantinius · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-18 13:50:12Z

1

You could try to iterate over all template elements in the XML and parse them with the following code:

for template in root.iterfind("template"):
    name = template.get("name")
    request = template.find(requst)
    password = template.findtext("request/password")
    username = ...
    ...
    # Do something with the values

answered Aug 18, 2011 at 13:50

Constantinius

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sunnysideup Over a year ago

hey, thanks again. I could work on it. have posted the answer along with my question. please check

Facundo Casco · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-18 13:53:33Z

1

You could try using get('name', default='') instead of ['name']

To get the text in the tag use .text

answered Aug 18, 2011 at 13:53

Facundo Casco

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1 Comment

sunnysideup Over a year ago

hey, the default thingy is helpful, i could handle errors with that. thanks FC

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