parse Method

This method parses the specified XML data.

Syntax

def parse() -> None: ...

Remarks

This method parses the specified XML data.

When parsing a document events will fire to provide information about the parsed data. After parse returns the document may be navigated by setting x_path if build_dom is True (default). If build_dom is False parsed data is only accessible through the events.

Events are fired only when qualifying conditions (such as, for example, the beginning of a new element) are met. In the meantime, text will be buffered internally. The following events will fire during parsing:

• on_characters
• on_comment
• on_end_element
• on_end_prefix_mapping
• on_eval_entity
• on_ignorable_whitespace
• on_meta
• on_pi
• on_special_section
• on_start_element
• on_start_prefix_mapping

If build_dom is True (default), x_path may be set after this method returns. x_path implements a subset of the XML XPath specification, allowing you to point to specific elements in the XML documents.

The path is a series of one or more element accessors separated by '/'. The path can be absolute (starting with '/') or relative to the current x_path location.

The following are possible values for an element accessor:

When x_path is set to a valid path, x_element points to the name of the element, with x_parent, x_namespace, x_prefix, x_child_name, x_child_namespace, x_child_prefix, x_child_x_text, and x_text providing other properties of the element. The attributes of the current element are provided in the attr_name, attr_namespace, attr_prefix, and attr_value properties.

build_dom must be set to True prior to parsing the document for the x_path functionality to be available.

Example (Setting XPath):

Input Properties

The class will determine the source of the input based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

• input_file
• input_data

If parsing multiple documents call reset between documents to reset the parser.