Cut up XML

[Adam (17)]

Hi

I have some large XML files and need to produce a website from them, but they will need cutting up into smaller sections, and to produce navigation between them all.

For example:

doc1.xml wants to be cut up in to:

doc1_a.xml
doc1_b.xml
doc1_c.xml
doc1_d.xml

The XML is simple there are only 12 tags so what I am after is a way to count characters to say 500, find the closest <aheader> tag cut above it, and produce an xml file, then count from that <Aheader> tag and do the same again?

i.e.
doc1.xml =

<root>
<aheader>Blar…Blarr…</aheader>
<bheader>Blar…Blarr…</bheader>
<bodytext>Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
<quote>Blar…Blarr…</ quote >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >

<!-----------Cut here------------this is not in the XML>

<aheader>Blar…Blarr…</aheader>
< bheader >Blar…Blarr…</ bheader >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
</root>

and produce 2 files like this:

doc1_a.xml=

<root>
<aheader>Blar…Blarr…</aheader>
<bheader>Blar…Blarr…</bheader>
<bodytext>Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
<quote>Blar…Blarr…</ quote >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
</root>

doc1_b.xml=

<root>
<aheader>Blar…Blarr…</aheader>
< bheader >Blar…Blarr…</ bheader >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar…Blarr…</ bodytext >
</root>

Can this be done? And how, I know a bit of XSL, is there a program that does this already?

Also when this is done, I need a navigation page to understand the structure of my files?

I have a friend that says this can be done in Microsoft C sharp? But I thought that was music (joke)

Thanks for any help

 

[Gadrin77]

(Adam) wrote:

doc1_a.xml=

<root>
<aheader>Blar?Blarr?</aheader>
<bheader>Blar?Blarr?</bheader>
<bodytext>Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
<quote>Blar?Blarr?</ quote >
< bodytext >Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
</root>

doc1_b.xml=

<root>
<aheader>Blar?Blarr?</aheader>
< bheader >Blar?Blarr?</ bheader >
< bodytext >Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
< bodytext >Blar?Blarr?</ bodytext >
</root>

Can this be done? And how, I know a bit of XSL, is there a program that does this already?

Also when this is done, I need a navigation page to understand the structure of my files?

Using XMLDOM might be easiest or treating the file like a .txt file and read it line by line. Concatenate each line into a string var and keep track of the length of the string var. As long as your documents look like your examples (all the children of the root are on the same level) it should be relatively easy. You just have to know what the ROOT tag of each file is and when you reach your magic number, place the ROOT tags around it, then write the string var to a file. VBScript or VBA should do it pretty easy. I use Winbatch which is somewhat similar to JScript.

You'll have to ignore the lines with the ROOT tags.

Anyway, whenever you write out the subfile, write the name to a list or array and then you can build a list of links.

If your ROOT's children aren't all on the same level, then it gets complex since you might leave off a closing tag. I'd then use the XMLDOM and step thru the children, checking the size of inner XML, then write it out.

First step: back up original files

I'd also do the first 3 or 4 files by hand, and see what you come up with. Then write your script and test it, and see how close it comes to your interactive work. Then decide whether you need more coding or it's time to go.

Don't forget: backup!