Delete XML node from XML file

[prtamil]

I have a XML like below, I want to remove a element when its attribute value match,

<a identifier="sample">

</a>

<a identifier="sample1">

</a>

<a identifier="sample1">

</a>

var tempsect1ID = "Sample"
if (csect1.(@identifier==tempsect1ID))
delete csect1.(@identifier==tempsect1ID)

where the "delete" will remove complete XML instead of the particular node. Can some one please help me here?

[Loic.Aigon]

well if the element returned by expression is root node then no misteries here.

[sk88746243]

Hi prtamil

Try below code:

var doc = app.activeDocument; 

                                //Elements, Attributes, Value;

removeAttributes(doc,'title','aid:pstyle','H1');

function removeAttributes(source,element,attributename,attributevalue){ 

    try{

    for (var i = 0; i < source.xmlElements.length; i++){ 

            try{ 

                for(j=0; j<source.xmlElements.xmlAttributes.length; j++){ 

                    if(source.xmlElements.markupTag.name == element && source.xmlElements.xmlAttributes.name == attributename && source.xmlElements.xmlAttributes.value == attributevalue){ 

                        //source.xmlElements.xmlAttributes.remove(); 

                        source.xmlElements.untag(); 

                    } 

                } 

            }

        catch(e){} 

            removeAttributes(source.xmlElements,element,attributename,attributevalue); 

    } 

}catch(e){};

} //End Funciton

[prtamil]

hi sk88746243 ,

Well this code works in indesign file structure itself, but my current script is to work in the external XML file, any idea on this?

[prtamil]

hi Loic.Aigon,

So how can I get the targeted element when the attribute has required value? May be XPATH?

[Dirk Becker]

Just a guess without testing:

Check the node kind of your query result. You likely get a node list rather than an individual element - after all the condition could match any number of elements. To delete them you'd then iterate the list and delete each element separately.

[Sunil Yadav · Accepted solution]

Hi prtamil,

You can find that node with x path and remove it like this:

var myXMLFile = File("~/Desktop/Test.xml");
myXMLFile.open('r');
var root = new XML(myXMLFile.read());
myXMLFile.close();
var nodes = root[0].xpath("//*[@identifier='sample']");
for(var i = 0; i < nodes.length(); i){
    delete nodes[0];
    nodes = root[0].xpath("//*[@identifier='sample']");
    }

Line number seven is the solution for your problem if you are finding your node in some other way like this:

if you have stored in a variable let's just say myFoundNode :

delete myFoundNode;

In line number 6 you can see in for loop I did not incremented variable i so this this loop will go on n on n on untill n unless it deletes all the node with the given xPath

Best

Sunil