Extracting Data from XML with xml.etree.ElementTree in Python

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Problem Overview

Let's say we have an XML string that represents a response from a web service. This XML contains user information, organized in rows and columns. For instance, we want to extract details like user ID, last name, and first name for each user listed in the table. Here’s a brief snapshot of what the XML structure looks like:

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Our desired output is to extract values as follows:

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Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Parse the XML

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Step 2: Account for Namespaces

In our XML example, we see the presence of namespaces, which can complicate the extraction process. We need to incorporate these namespaces into our search queries. The C namespace is used in our XML, so we will structure our search accordingly.

Step 3: Find the Relevant Data

Using the findall method, we can search for the rows and then for the columns within those rows. Here’s how to extract the first three <col> tags for each <row>:

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Step 4: Print the Results

Finally, let’s print out our extracted values to see the results.

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Complete Code Example

Here’s the complete code wrapped up nicely for you:

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Conclusion

If you have any questions or run into issues, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be glad to help. Happy coding!