Filtering Data in XML

**lenin** · Feb 20th, 2001, 11:35 AM

Hi,
can anyone provide pointers on how to filter data in XML. I have a simple XML based search engine, which passes a paramter from a web page.

Based on the search I ( at the moment ) use ASP to check for the occurence of the search work in the XML file.

However I am keen to implement the project with an XSL file. This means that I ( think I ) will have to filter the XML data prior to applying the XSL file, but have been unsuccessful up to date.

At the moment I have:
HTML Source:

<html>
<body>
<script language="javascript">
// Load XML
var objFiler
var xml = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xml.async = false
xml.load("database.xml")

// Set variable selection

// Load the XSL
var xsl = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xsl.async = false
xsl.load("search.xsl")

// Filter XML File
//NEED SOURCE HERE

// Transform
document.write(xml.transformNode(xsl))
</script>

</body>
</html>

XML FILE:
<CODE>
<SOURCE ID="1">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ADO CONNECTION OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>connection</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO connection to SQL Server</DESCRIPTION>
</SOURCE>
<SOURCE ID="2">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ADO COMMAND OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>command</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO command with parameterised query variables</DESCRIPTION>
</SOURCE>
<SOURCE ID="3">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ERROR MODULE</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>Error</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Source for a generic Error Module</DESCRIPTION>
</SOURCE>
</CODE>

XSL:
<?xml version='1.0'?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xsl">
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<table border="0">
<tr bgcolor = "Green">
<th>URL</th>
<th>Description</th>
</tr>
<xsl:for-each select="CODE/SOURCE">
<tr>
<td bgcolor = "Yellow"><xsl:value-of select="URL"/></td>
<td bgcolor = "Yellow"><xsl:value-of select="DESCRIPTION"/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:for-each>
</table>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

thanks in advance.

Lenin.

**Jerry Grant** · Feb 20th, 2001, 11:50 AM

If the target browser is XML aware (IE5 or NS6) then you add the transformation file to the start of the XML

Code:

<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="myStylesheet.xsl"?>
<CODE>
	<SOURCE ID="1">
		<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
		<KEYWORDS>ADO CONNECTION OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
		<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
		<URL>connection</URL>
		<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO connection to SQL Server</DESCRIPTION>
	</SOURCE>
	<SOURCE ID="2">
		<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
		<KEYWORDS>ADO COMMAND OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
		<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
		<URL>command</URL>
		<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO command with parameterised query variables</DESCRIPTION>
	</SOURCE>
	<SOURCE ID="3">
		<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
		<KEYWORDS>ERROR MODULE</KEYWORDS>
		<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
		<URL>Error</URL>
		<DESCRIPTION>Source for a generic Error Module</DESCRIPTION>
	</SOURCE>
</CODE>

Otherwise this will transform it in code:

Code:

Public Function ApplyXSL( _
                         ByVal strXMLfile As String, _
                         ByVal strXSLfile As String _
                         ) As String
                         
    Dim strXMl As String
    Dim objXML As MSXML2.DOMDocument
    Dim strXSL As String
    Dim objXSL As MSXML2.DOMDocument
    
    '// Load the XML
    Set objXML = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    strXMl = App.Path & "\" & strXMLfile
    objXML.Load strXMl
    
    '// Load the XSL
    Set objXSL = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    strXSL = App.Path & "\" & strXSLfile
    objXSL.Load strXSL
    
    '// Transform to html
    ApplyXSL = objXML.transformNode(objXSL)
    
    Set objXML = Nothing
    Set objXSL = Nothing
    
End Function

I think this is what you meant?

**lenin** · Feb 21st, 2001, 04:16 AM

Sorry Jerry,
I must have phrased this wrong. I know I have to apply a stylesheet, ( from the source I provided ). What I want is a method to filter an existing XML file prior to applying the XSL file. Again, I have a search string which should match against each element in the XML file. If it matched I want to create new XML with this node.

So, from the example XML I provided, if I search on the <KEYWORD> ERROR it would create some XML with 1 element.

Hope this is cleat.

Lenin.

**Jerry Grant** · Feb 21st, 2001, 08:16 AM

I understand your problem now, but it's not short answer.
I'm a bit busy now but if I have time I will write some script to do this for you.
Can you post an example of the XML nodes you want to be generated, containg which data from the original XML.

**lenin** · Feb 21st, 2001, 08:46 AM

Jerry,
many thanks. Find below a sample XML I'm currently using: I want to say search for a keyword from the <KEYWORDS> elements list and if it marches any of them it should be in the new XML.

<CODE>
<SOURCE ID="1">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ADO CONNECTION OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>connection</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO connection to SQL Server</DESCRIPTION>
<SOURCE_CODE>
<![CDATA[
VISUAL BASIC CODE FOR ADO CONNECTION HERE ]]>
</SOURCE_CODE>
</SOURCE>
<SOURCE ID="2">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ADO COMMAND OBJECT</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>command</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Simple Source for a generic ADO command with parameterised query variables</DESCRIPTION>
<SOURCE_CODE>
<![CDATA[
VISUAL BASIC CODE FOR ADO COMMAND HERE ]]>
</SOURCE_CODE>
</SOURCE>
<SOURCE ID="3">
<LANGUAGE>VB</LANGUAGE>
<KEYWORDS>ERROR MODULE</KEYWORDS>
<PATH>../Connection.html</PATH>
<URL>Error</URL>
<DESCRIPTION>Source for a generic Error Module</DESCRIPTION>
<SOURCE_CODE>
<![CDATA[
VISUAL BASIC CODE FOR ADO CONNECTION HERE ]]>
</SOURCE_CODE>
</SOURCE>
</CODE>

**Jerry Grant** · Feb 21st, 2001, 08:51 AM

Yeah, I understand that, but what should the new xml structure be?

Code:

<MYMATCH>
    <MYDATA>
    What text do you want here, from the orriginal XML
    </MYDATA>
</MYMATCH>

Please let me know what the Node names, child nodes should be named/organised.

**lenin** · Feb 21st, 2001, 09:01 AM

I want the structure to remain the same. Just filtering the data. I had tried using selectnodes with paramters and trying to populate another XML DOM with this, but with negative outcomes.

**Jerry Grant** · Feb 21st, 2001, 09:37 AM

Ok, I think this will work.....
The following is in VBScript, you can convert it to JScript if you prefer, Assuming the XML is the loaded XMLstream:

Code:

<%
    Dim matchNodes
    Dim oNode
    Dim pNode
    Dim gpNode
    Dim strSearch
    
    strSearch = "ERROR" '// Put your search text here
    
    Set matchNodes = xml.selectNodes("//KEYWORDS")
    
    If matchNodes.length > 0 Then
        
        '// Node is <KEYWORDS>
        For Each oNode In matchNodes
        
            '// Parent Node is <SOURCE>
            Set pNode = oNode.parentNode
            
            '// Grandparent Node is <CODE>
            Set gpNode = pNode.parentNode
            
            If InStr(1, oNode.Text, strSearch) = 0 Then
                '// Remove <SOURCE>
                gpNode.removeChild pNode
            End If
            
        Next oNode
        
    End If
    
    Set gpNode = Nothing
    Set pNode = Nothing
    Set oNode = Nothing
    Set matchNodes = Nothing
%>

Good Luck

**lenin** · Feb 21st, 2001, 09:43 AM

Many thanks Jerry.

Thread: Filtering Data in XML

Thread Tools

Display

Filter?

Sorry lenin

Use the removeChild method!

Posting Permissions