xml.udf -- failing to get how to use it

[rudi]

Hello,

once more I have to see, that my knowledge about XML is too poor, even to use this existing XML UDF

If it should be a better approach to make use of StringRegEx, or maybe a totally different approach, any suggestions will be mostly appreciated.

 

I downloaded the ZIP XML_1.1.1.13 and tried to get how to use it from the sample AU3 files included in that ZIP file, well, I don't really get it😵

 

 

What I want to do:

My mobile phone's backup contain all the contacts in an XML file. This is an example of such a file, backupinfo.xml, shortened to show just one fictive entry:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContactRecords>
    <contact>
        <structuredName>
            <displayName>Max Mustermann</displayName>
            <givenName>Max</givenName>
            <familyName>Mustermann</familyName>
            <prefixName />
            <middleName />
            <suffixName />
            <phoneticGivenName />
            <phoneticMiddleName />
            <phoneticFamily />
        </structuredName>
        <organization>
            <company>Schlosserei Mustermann GmbH</company>
            <department />
            <title />
        </organization>
        <phones>
            <phone>
                <number>07652 881 8181</number>
                <type>home</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>0 800 435 2758</number>
                <type>work</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 160 4321 222</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
        </phones>
        <emails />
        <addresses />
        <ims />
        <WebSites />
        <Events />
        <note />
        <nickName />
        <photo />
        <netPhone />
        <groups>
            <group>
                <groupName>Ungrouped</groupName>
            </group>
        </groups>
    </contact>
</ContactRecords>

 

Basically I want to search my mobile's contacts for phone numbers to, to see, what contact they belong to. Propably it will make the task much more easy, when standardizing the mobile's contact XML to hold all numbers in "international-notation-without-any-whitespaces" (thats no problem):

 

expandcollapse popup

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContactRecords>
    <contact>
        <structuredName>
            <displayName>Max Mustermann</displayName>
            <givenName>Max</givenName>
            <familyName>Mustermann</familyName>
            <prefixName />
            <middleName />
            <suffixName />
            <phoneticGivenName />
            <phoneticMiddleName />
            <phoneticFamily />
        </structuredName>
        <organization>
            <company>Schlosserei Mustermann GmbH</company>
            <department />
            <title />
        </organization>
        <phones>
            <phone>
                <number>+4976528818181</number>
                <type>home</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+498004352758</number>
                <type>work</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+491604321222</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
        </phones>
        <emails />
        <addresses />
        <ims />
        <WebSites />
        <Events />
        <note />
        <nickName />
        <photo />
        <netPhone />
        <groups>
            <group>
                <groupName>Ungrouped</groupName>
            </group>
        </groups>
    </contact>
</ContactRecords>

 

What I would like to get from the XML file as a result, e.g. searching the phone number "+491604321222"

1. Present in XML  or not (true)
2. if present then return the values for...
3. type (mobile)
4. givenname (Max)
5. familyname (Mustermann)
6. company (Schlosserei Mustermann GmbH)
7. optional: Other node names and their values within that contact, when not "empty" (like in this examle <emails /> or <middlename />)

 

The values from #2 - #6 would be perfect when returned in a 2D Array, Col0 = name, Col1 = value.

Regards, Rudi.

 

[Jos]

The shown information is not real I hope?  

Jos

[Jury]

Well structured data makes me most often use StringRegExp:

 

$aArray = StringRegExp($sFileRead, '(?i)(?s)<ContactRecords>.*?<displayName>(.*?)</displayName>.*?<company>(.*?)</company>.*?<number>(.*?)</number>(?-s)\r?\n\s*<type>(.*?)</type>(?s).*?<number>(.*?)</number>(?-s)\r?\n\s*<type>(\w+)</type>(?s).*?<number>(.*?)</number>(?-s)\r?\n\s*<type>(\w+)</type>(?s).*?(?=</ContactRecords>)', 4)

Local $aMatch = 0
For $i = 0 To UBound($aArray) - 1
    $aMatch = $aArray[$i]
    For $j = 1 To UBound($aMatch) - 1
        ConsoleWrite($aMatch[$j] & @CRLF)
    Next
    ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
Next

but, of course, others will differ.

[mLipok]

I'm on my vacation/holidays 

[TheXman]

 

On 8/20/2020 at 4:54 PM, rudi said:

once more I have to see, that my knowledge about XML is too poor, even to use this existing XML UDF

... any suggestions will be mostly appreciated.

Since you are having such a hard time, here's an example, using the xml udf, that may help get you started.    It is based on the xml structure that you provided above.  It loads contact information, for each contact, into a 2D array that can be searched however you choose.
 

expandcollapse popup

#AutoIt3Wrapper_AU3Check_Parameters=-w 3 -w 4 -w 5 -w 6 -d

#include <Constants.au3>
#include <Array.au3>
#include <MyIncludes\XML\xml.au3>  ;<== Modify as needed

xml_example()

Func xml_example()
    Const $XML_FILE = @ScriptDir & "\test.xml" ;<== Modify as needed

    Local $oXML, $oContacts
    Local $aContacts[0][7]
    Local $sDisplayName, $sFirstName, $sLastName, $sCompany, $sHomePhone, $sWorkPhone, $sMobilePhone

    ;Create XML object
    $oXML = _XML_CreateDOMDocument()
    If @error Then Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "XML object creation failed - @error = " & @error)

    ;Load xml file
    _XML_Load($oXML, $XML_FILE)
    If @error Then Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "Loading of XML failed - @error = " & @error)

    ;Get collection of contact nodes
    $oContacts = _XML_SelectNodes($oXML, "/ContactRecords/contact")
    If @error Then Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "Error getting contact nodes - @error = " & @error)

    ;Load contact information into the array
    For $oContact in $oContacts
        ;Populate the fields
        $sDisplayName = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "structuredName/displayName")[1]
        $sFirstName   = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "structuredName/givenName")[1]
        $sLastName    = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "structuredName/familyName")[1]
        $sCompany     = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "organization/company")[1]

        $sHomePhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='home']/number") Then _
            $sHomePhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='home']/number")[1]

        $sWorkPhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='work']/number") Then _
            $sWorkPhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='work']/number")[1]

        $sMobilePhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='mobile']/number") Then _
            $sMobilePhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='mobile']/number")[1]

        ;Add row to the array
        _ArrayAdd($aContacts, _
            $sDisplayName & "|" & _
            $sFirstName   & "|" & _
            $sLastName    & "|" & _
            $sCompany     & "|" & _
            $sHomePhone   & "|" & _
            $sWorkPhone   & "|" & _
            $sMobilePhone)
    Next

    _ArrayDisplay($aContacts, "Contacts", "", 0, Default, _
                  "Display Name|First Name|Last Name|Company|Home Phone|Work Phone|Mobile Phone")

EndFunc

test.xml

Edited March 18, 2021 by TheXman
Tidy up the script / Added test.xml file

[rudi]

On 8/22/2020 at 10:27 AM, Jos said:

The shown information is not real I hope?  

Jos

<cite>

... . This is an example of such a file, backupinfo.xml, shortened to show just one fictive entry:

</cite>

 

[rudi]

@TheXman

thanks a lot for your great example script.

I recognized, that the XML structure for the part of the phone numbers is giving me some additional constraints:

1. phone number types might show up more than once, e.g. if someone has two private or to work mobile phones.
2. phone numbers can have custom lables.

So I'd like to ask, how to catch all the numbers and their "custom lable name(s)", in case that node is populated. (Your example result array is super nice, but it's not required to have fixed collumns, it's sufficent to me when I just can catch all the phone numbers and their custom or standard "label names")

 

        <phones>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 163 1234567</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 163 9759759</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 9335 1111111</number>
                <type>home</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+4993211234567</number>
                <type>custom</type>
                <customLabel>Küche</customLabel>
            </phone>
        </phones>

of course these all are fictive numbers 😉

 

the result pairs that would help me, order doesn't matter, would be:

mobile|+49 163 1234567
mobile|+49 163 9759759
home|+49 9335 1111111
Küche|+4993211234567

I didn't solve to get in the first step a list of the four nodes <phone></phone>

and in a second step the list of the sub-nodes <number></number>, <type></type> and <customlabel>value</customlabel> or <customlabel />

 

I guess, that  "<customlabel />" is an existing, but "empty" node?? for the function _XML_NodeExists() ? (the function will not return FALSE?)

[TheXman]

8 minutes ago, rudi said:

@TheXman

thanks a lot for your great example script.

I guess a belated, 5 months late, thanks is better than no thanks at all.    But it seems that the only reason you are @tagging and thanking me is because you would like my help again.      I usually don't help people that don't appreciate it.  Maybe my example in the post below may help you.  Good luck. 

 

[rudi]

Hello @TheXman
please accept my apologies to have missed to drop a immediate thank you. 😞

 

I've lost touch with this task -- basically I wanted to dig in immediately  -- and of course to thank you, expecting that I will run in some constraints I don't have the XML knowledge to get it solved on my own...

CU, Rudi.

[rudi]

Thanks for your example,

still not getting to my propably really simple goal, to see a list of "child nodes" -- 

expandcollapse popup

#include <Debug.au3>
#include <Constants.au3>
#include <Array.au3>
#include "C:\temp\XML_1.1.1.13\XML.au3"  ;<== Modify as needed


$PhoneBookXML=@scriptdir & "\SamplePhoneBook-2.xml"

; ShellExecute($PhoneBookXML)


xml_example()

Func xml_example()
    Const $XML_FILE = $PhoneBookXML ;<== Modify as needed

    Local $oXML, $oContacts

    ;Create XML object
    $oXML = _XML_CreateDOMDocument()
    If @error Then
        Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "XML object creation failed - @error = " & @error)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("Done: $oXML = _XML_CreateDOMDocument()" & @CRLF)
    EndIf


    ;Load xml file
    _XML_Load($oXML, $XML_FILE)
    If @error Then
        Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "Loading of XML failed - @error = " & @error)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("Done: _XML_Load($oXML, $XML_FILE)" & @CRLF)
    EndIf

    ;Get collection of contact nodes
    $oContacts = _XML_SelectNodes($oXML, "/ContactRecords/contact")
    If @error Then Exit MsgBox($MB_ICONERROR, "ERROR", "Error getting contact nodes - @error = " & @error)

    For $oContact in $oContacts
        ;Populate the fields

        if _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones") Then _
            ConsoleWrite('True: _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones")' & @CRLF)

        if _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones/phone") Then _
            ConsoleWrite('True: _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones/phone")' & @CRLF)

        if _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones/phone/notpresent") Then
            ConsoleWrite('True: _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones/phone/notpresent")' & @CRLF)
        Else
            ConsoleWrite('False: _XML_NodeExists($oContact,"phones/phone/notpresent")' & @CRLF)
        EndIf


        ; trying to get a list  of next XML LEVEL elements -- howto use the results?
        $aStructuredName=_XML_GetChildren($oXML, "ContactRecords/contact")
        $Err=@error
        if IsArray($aStructuredName) Then
            _DebugArrayDisplay($aStructuredName) ; see screenshot below
        Else
            MsgBox(262144, VarGetType($aStructuredName) , "No array was returned" & @CRLF & "$aStructuredName = " & $aStructuredName & @CRLF & "@Error = " & $Err,3)
        EndIf
        $sHomePhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='home']/number") Then _
            $sHomePhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='home']/number")[1]

        $sWorkPhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='work']/number") Then _
            $sWorkPhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='work']/number")[1]

        $sMobilePhone = ""
        If _XML_NodeExists($oContact, "phones/phone[type='mobile']/number") Then _
            $sMobilePhone = _XML_GetValue($oContact, "phones/phone[type='mobile']/number")[1]
        ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : $sHomePhone = ' & $sHomePhone & @CRLF & '>Error code: ' & @error & @CRLF) ;### Debug Console
        ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : $sWorkPhone = ' & $sWorkPhone & @CRLF & '>Error code: ' & @error & @CRLF) ;### Debug Console
        ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : $sMobilePhone = ' & $sMobilePhone & @CRLF & '>Error code: ' & @error & @CRLF) ;### Debug Console
    Next
EndFunc

function definition header:

; Return values .: On Success    - Returns an array where:
;                  |$array[0][0] = Size of array
;                  |$array[1][0] = Name
;                  |$array[1][1] = Text
;                  |$array[1][2] = NameSpaceURI
;                  |...

I absolutely miss the meaning of this result array:

• just one node structuredName, showing up 10 times
• also just one node company, showing up 4 times
• phones showing up 5 times I guess reflects one node "phones", plus 4 sub-nodes "phone" ?
• And just column[0] = name's values are populated. Column[1]=Text and column[2]=NameSpaceURI remain empty for all rows?

That's all exciting and frustrating at the same time.

XML file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContactRecords>
    <contact>
		<structuredName>
			<displayName>Peter </displayName>
			<givenName>Peter</givenName>
			<familyName>Miller</familyName>
			<prefixName />
			<middleName />
			<suffixName />
			<phoneticGivenName />
			<phoneticMiddleName />
			<phoneticFamily />
		</structuredName>
		<organization>
			<company>CorpName</company>
			<department />
			<title />
		</organization>
        <phones>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 163 1234567</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 163 9759759</number>
                <type>mobile</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+49 9335 1111111</number>
                <type>home</type>
                <customLabel />
            </phone>
            <phone>
                <number>+4993211234567</number>
                <type>custom</type>
                <customLabel>Kitchen</customLabel>
            </phone>
        </phones>
    </contact>
</ContactRecords>

 

[rudi]

Hello @TheXman

could you pls point me the right direction to investigate the internal node structure of an XML document, and to investigate the values of these nodes, for XML documents, that have a *VARIABLE* structure below the top level nodes?

I've tried various ways to grab this information, but I have to admit that my XML knowlege is definitely too poor for even this propably simple task. (also tried PowerShell, just trying to get that info...)

TIA, Rudi.

semper volens accipere auxilium 

 

[TheXman]

12 hours ago, rudi said:

could you pls point me the right direction to investigate the internal node structure of an XML document, and to investigate the values of these nodes, for XML documents, that have a *VARIABLE* structure below the top level nodes?

I've given you 2 very good examples already.  The first example was the original one in this post.  The "contact" element has an unknown number of instances.  You could process your "phone" elements the same way (select the collection of phone nodes -- for a given contact node -- and then process that collection).  The second example is in the link that I provided.  It uses a different way of accessing a node that has a "variable" number of instances.  Basically. it gets a count of the number of nodes first and then processes them as indexed items.  So I don't know how much more "pointing" you in the right direction I can do because you don't seem to be absorbing the information that I've provided. 

You seemed to be more interested in getting a solution to your problem than learning how to solve it.  If that's true and you've read my About Me, then you should know that I'm the wrong person to ask.  If you want my help, then you need to show that you are trying to learn and have hit an obstacle that you need help understanding why you hit it and what you can do to get around it.  You can do that by showing your script attempt (or a running example), point out where you think you are having an issue, and ask specific/detailed questions.  Your previous attempt uses _XML_GetChildren(), which is not used in either of my examples.  Obviously, given the array that is returned, it is being use incorrectly and is not what I would use to gather the "phone" information (at least not in the way that you tried to implement it).

Here's a hint on selecting the "phone" nodes:

• XPath from the root:  "/ContactRecords/contact/phones/phone"
• XPath relative to "contact":  "phones/phone"

Edited January 15, 2021 by TheXman

[rudi]

@TheXman

thanks for your additional input. I'll appreciate it and will hopefully come back with my fixed and functional lines.

 

CU, Rudi.

[jdelaney]

No error handling...but simple example.  Add the data to an array, or do what you will with it

 

Local $oXML = ObjCreate("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
$oXML.Load(@DesktopDir & "/test.xml")
$oContacts = $oXML.selectNodes("//contact")
For $oContact In $oContacts
    $oPhones = $oContact.selectNodes("./phones/phone")
    For $oPhone In $oPhones
        $oNumber = $oPhone.selectSingleNode("./number")
        $oType   = $oPhone.selectSingleNode("./type")
        $oCustom = $oPhone.selectSingleNode("./customLabel")
        ConsoleWrite("$oNumber=[" & $oNumber.text & "], $oType=[" & $oType.text & "], $oCustom=[" & $oCustom.text & "]" & @CRLF)
    Next
Next

output:

$oNumber=[+49 163 1234567], $oType=[mobile], $oCustom=[]
$oNumber=[+49 163 9759759], $oType=[mobile], $oCustom=[]
$oNumber=[+49 9335 1111111], $oType=[home], $oCustom=[]
$oNumber=[+4993211234567], $oType=[custom], $oCustom=[Kitchen]

Edited January 21, 2021 by jdelaney