Parsing XML

calebcall has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I'm trying to parse some XML. I've been searching for some tutorials, reading perldocs, trying to find examples but can't find anything that's quite what I need. I'm trying to query namecheap.com's api to get a list of my domains and the date they expire. An example of how it outputs is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ApiResponse Status="OK" xmlns="http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response"
+>
  <Errors />
  <Warnings />
  <RequestedCommand>namecheap.domains.getList</RequestedCommand>
  <CommandResponse Type="namecheap.domains.getList">
    <DomainGetListResult>
      <Domain ID="8888888" Name="Domain1.com" Expires="03/31/2015"/>
      <Domain ID="8888889" Name="Domain2.com" Expires="02/25/2015"/>
      <Domain ID="8888899" Name="Domain3.com" Expires="04/01/2015"/>
      <Domain ID="8888999" Name="Domain4.com" Expires="05/20/2015"/>
    </DomainGetListResult>
    <Paging>
      <TotalItems>4</TotalItems>
      <CurrentPage>1</CurrentPage>
      <PageSize>50</PageSize>
    </Paging>
  </CommandResponse>
  <Server>API02</Server>
  <GMTTimeDifference>--5:00</GMTTimeDifference>
  <ExecutionTime>0.008</ExecutionTime>
</ApiResponse>
[download]

I've tried many things, but I think I'm close with the following:

#!/usr/bin/env perl

use XML::Simple;
use Data::Dumper;

$xml = new XML::Simple;
$result = $xml->XMLin("myouput.xml");

foreach my $domain (@{$result->{DomainGetListResult}}) {
    print $domain->{DomainGetListResult}->{Domain}->{Name} . "\n";
}
[download]

However, this returns nothing. I can use Data Dumper and dump out my $result and it gives me the info posted above (but in a hash). So I know it's getting the data. Just how do I specify the nested values? Do I start at the farthest out? (in this case ApiResponse?)

I'm also not opposed to using something other than XML::Simple if there is a module that is easier to use or better suited to what I am trying to do.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Comment on Parsing XML Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Parsing XML by McA (Priest) on Mar 08, 2014 at 06:40 UTC
Hi, Look at this snippet: `foreach my $domain (@{$result->{CommandResponse}->{DomainGetListResult +}->{Domain}}) { print $domain->{Name} . "\n"; print $domain->{ID} . "\n"; print $domain->{Expires} . "\n"; }` [download] Best regards McA	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Parsing XML by calebcall (Sexton) on Mar 08, 2014 at 06:43 UTC
Perfect! Thanks. So simple now that I see what you did, it works great.	[reply]
Re^3: Parsing XML by McA (Priest) on Mar 08, 2014 at 07:05 UTC
You're welcome. But be aware, XML::Simple plays not nice sometimes. Change your xml file to the following and show what happens: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <ApiResponse Status="OK" xmlns="http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response" +> <Errors /> <Warnings /> <RequestedCommand>namecheap.domains.getList</RequestedCommand> <CommandResponse Type="namecheap.domains.getList"> <DomainGetListResult> <Domain ID="8888999" Name="Domain4.com" Expires="05/20/2015"/> </DomainGetListResult> <Paging> <TotalItems>4</TotalItems> <CurrentPage>1</CurrentPage> <PageSize>50</PageSize> </Paging> </CommandResponse> <Server>API02</Server> <GMTTimeDifference>--5:00</GMTTimeDifference> <ExecutionTime>0.008</ExecutionTime> </ApiResponse> [download] You'll see your script dies. XML::Simple creates an array ref when it sees more than one element, but a simple hash ref when there is one. Instantiate you XML::Simple object this way to force that the one element is always handles as an array: `my $result = $xml->XMLin("myouput.xml", ForceArray => ['Domain']);` [download] When you start learning XML handling modules have a look at XML::Twig. McA	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Parsing XML by calebcall (Sexton) on Mar 11, 2014 at 01:53 UTC
So this works great if there are multiple items (domains in this case) that return. I've got cases where only a singe domain will return and I get the following error: `Not an ARRAY reference at ./namecheap.pl line 99` [download] Line 99 in the line my foreach loop begins on. In my uneducated opinion, it would be due to returning only a single result and referencing it using @. I've tried a few other stabs at being able to handle both a single and multiple results but can't come up with anything. My next guess is to try to find how long my results are (i.e. greater than one) and handle them separately...but that seems like a lot of redundant work having the exact same thing but for different results.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Parsing XML by tangent (Parson) on Mar 11, 2014 at 02:06 UTC
Did you use `ForceArray` as McA suggested?	[reply] [d/l]
Re^4: Parsing XML by calebcall (Sexton) on Mar 11, 2014 at 04:27 UTC
Re^3: Parsing XML (XML::Rules xml2XMLRules ) by Anonymous Monk on Mar 11, 2014 at 02:20 UTC
That is problem with XML::Simple :) sure there are options but its easier to use XML::Rules , its is XML::Simple on steriods, exampe Read more... (6 kB)	[reply] [d/l]
Re^4: Parsing XML (XML::Rules xml2XMLRules ) by calebcall (Sexton) on Mar 11, 2014 at 04:29 UTC
Re^3: Parsing XML (XML::LibXML xpather ) by Anonymous Monk on Mar 11, 2014 at 02:42 UTC
And XML::LibXML version (its DOM), most important docs in XML::LibXML::Node/XML::LibXML::Element/XML::LibXML::AttributeHash xpaths courtesy of xpather.pl Read more... (4 kB)	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Parsing XML by kcott (Archbishop) on Mar 08, 2014 at 07:01 UTC
G'day calebcall, Using Data::Dump to show the structure of `$result`: #!/usr/bin/env perl use strict; use warnings; use XML::Simple; my $xml = XML::Simple->new(); my $result = $xml->XMLin(<<'EOX'); <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <ApiResponse Status="OK" xmlns="http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response" +> <Errors /> <Warnings /> <RequestedCommand>namecheap.domains.getList</RequestedCommand> <CommandResponse Type="namecheap.domains.getList"> <DomainGetListResult> <Domain ID="8888888" Name="Domain1.com" Expires="03/31/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888889" Name="Domain2.com" Expires="02/25/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888899" Name="Domain3.com" Expires="04/01/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888999" Name="Domain4.com" Expires="05/20/2015"/> </DomainGetListResult> <Paging> <TotalItems>4</TotalItems> <CurrentPage>1</CurrentPage> <PageSize>50</PageSize> </Paging> </CommandResponse> <Server>API02</Server> <GMTTimeDifference>--5:00</GMTTimeDifference> <ExecutionTime>0.008</ExecutionTime> </ApiResponse> EOX use Data::Dump; dd $result; [download] I get: { CommandResponse => { DomainGetListResult => { Domain => [ { Expires => "03/31/2015", ID => 8888888, Name => "Domain1.com +" }, { Expires => "02/25/2015", ID => 8888889, Name => "Domain2.com +" }, { Expires => "04/01/2015", ID => 8888899, Name => "Domain3.com +" }, { Expires => "05/20/2015", ID => 8888999, Name => "Domain4.com +" }, ], }, Paging => { CurrentPage => 1, PageSize => 50, TotalItems => 4 }, Type => "namecheap.domains.getList", }, Errors => {}, ExecutionTime => 0.008, GMTTimeDifference => "--5:00", RequestedCommand => "namecheap.domains.getList", Server => "API02", Status => "OK", Warnings => {}, xmlns => "http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response", } [download] So, changing your loop to this: `foreach my $domain (@{$result->{CommandResponse}{DomainGetListResult}{ +Domain}}) { print $domain->{Name} . "\n"; }` [download] I get: `Domain1.com Domain2.com Domain3.com Domain4.com` [download] -- Ken	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Parsing XML by choroba (Cardinal) on Mar 11, 2014 at 09:02 UTC
Instead of XML::Simple, I prefer XML::XSH2, a wrapper around XML::XSH2. `open myoutput.xml ; register-namespace nc http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response ; for //nc:Domain echo @Name 'expires on' @Expires ;` [download] لսႽ� ᥲᥒ⚪⟊Ⴙᘓᖇ Ꮅᘓᖇ⎱ Ⴙᥲ𝇋ƙᘓᖇ	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Parsing XML by Discipulus (Canon) on Mar 11, 2014 at 08:58 UTC
hello, sorry if i missed this... I can suggest you to switch to XML::Twig? I was in a fix in choosing the rigth tool and now i'm very happy with this one. Here the proposed solution using XML::Twig #!/usr/bin/perl use strict; use warnings; use XML::Twig; my $t= XML::Twig->new( pretty_print => 'indented', twig_handlers => { #'Domain'=>sub{$_[1]->print,"\n";}, ##print +the raw xml 'Domain'=>sub{print $_[1]->att('Name'),' exp +ires ',$_[1]->att('Expires'),"\n" ;}, } ); $/=''; $t->parse(<DATA>); __DATA__ <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <ApiResponse Status="OK" xmlns="http://api.namecheap.com/xml.response" +> <Errors /> <Warnings /> <RequestedCommand>namecheap.domains.getList</RequestedCommand> <CommandResponse Type="namecheap.domains.getList"> <DomainGetListResult> <Domain ID="8888888" Name="Domain1.com" Expires="03/31/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888889" Name="Domain2.com" Expires="02/25/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888899" Name="Domain3.com" Expires="04/01/2015"/> <Domain ID="8888999" Name="Domain4.com" Expires="05/20/2015"/> </DomainGetListResult> <Paging> <TotalItems>4</TotalItems> <CurrentPage>1</CurrentPage> <PageSize>50</PageSize> </Paging> </CommandResponse> <Server>API02</Server> <GMTTimeDifference>--5:00</GMTTimeDifference> <ExecutionTime>0.008</ExecutionTime> </ApiResponse> __OUTPUT__ Domain1.com expires 03/31/2015 Domain2.com expires 02/25/2015 Domain3.com expires 04/01/2015 Domain4.com expires 05/20/2015 [download] HtH L* There are no rules, there are no thumbs.. Reinvent the wheel, then learn The Wheel; may be one day you reinvent one of THE WHEELS.	[reply] [d/l]


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