How to parse an XML file in Python?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Parsing an XML File Using xml.etree.ElementTree
  • 1. Importing the Required Module
  • 2. Loading the XML File
  • Example:
  • 3. Accessing Elements and Attributes
    • Getting Child Elements
  • Example:
    • Accessing Element Text and Attributes
  • Example:
• Practical Examples
  • Example 1: Parsing a Sample XML File
  • Example 2: Modifying XML Elements
• Conclusion

Introduction

Parsing XML files in Python is essential for extracting data from structured documents. Python provides several libraries for XML parsing, but one of the most commonly used is xml.etree.ElementTree. This module allows you to parse XML documents and navigate through the elements and attributes conveniently. In this guide, we will explore how to parse an XML file using ElementTree, demonstrating various techniques for reading and manipulating XML data.

Parsing an XML File Using xml.etree.ElementTree

1. Importing the Required Module

To begin, you need to import the ElementTree module from the xml.etree package.

2. Loading the XML File

You can load an XML file using the parse() method of the ElementTree module. This method reads the XML file and creates an ElementTree object.

Example:

Here, example.xml is the name of the XML file, and root is the root element of the XML document.

3. Accessing Elements and Attributes

Once you have the root element, you can navigate through the XML tree using various methods provided by ElementTree.

Getting Child Elements

You can iterate through the child elements of the root or any other element using the iter() or findall() methods.

Example:

Accessing Element Text and Attributes

You can access the text content of an element and its attributes using the .text property and the get() method.

Example:

Practical Examples

Example 1: Parsing a Sample XML File

Consider the following XML file (example.xml):

You can parse this XML file as follows:

Output:

Example 2: Modifying XML Elements

You can also modify XML elements and write them back to a file. For instance, let's add a new book entry.

Conclusion

Parsing XML files in Python can be efficiently done using the xml.etree.ElementTree module. By loading an XML file, navigating through its elements, and accessing their attributes and text, you can extract valuable data. The examples provided demonstrate how to read and modify XML content, making it a powerful tool for handling structured data in various applications.