PBDOM : Exporting to XML file gives a single line

[Former Member]

I've been starting developing with PowerBuilder 12.5 a few weeks ago. I had to write some XML files, so I got familiar with the PBDOM library.

I can build a lot of different things, it's very nice, but one thing still bothers me :
In the output file, the whole XML is written on a single line.

I use the SaveDocument function.

For example, here is some code :

PBDOM_Document doc
PBDOM_Element noderoot, node1, node11, node12

doc = CREATE PBDOM_Document
doc.NewDocument("NodeRoot")
noderoot = doc.GetRootElement()

node1 = CREATE PBDOM_Element
node1.SetName("Node1")
noderoot.AddContent(node1)
node1.SetAttribute("Attr", "AttrValue")

node11 = CREATE PBDOM_Element
node11.SetName("Node11")
node11.AddContent("Here is a value")
node1.AddContent(node11)

node12 = CREATE PBDOM_ELEMENT
node12.SetName("Node12")
node12.AddContent("Here is another value")
node1.AddContent(node12)

doc.SaveDocument("myDoc.xml")

Here is the result when I open it with notepad++

<NodeRoot><Node1 Attr="AttrValue"><Node11>Here is a value</Node11><Node12>Here is another value</Node12></Node1></NodeRoot>

Whereas I wanted :

<NodeRoot> <Node1 Attr="AttrValue"> <Node11>Here is a value</Node11> <Node12>Here is another value</Node12> </Node1> </NodeRoot>

With the notepad++ XML tools plugin, I can use the "pretty print" function to get this nice representation. But I would like my file to be formatted this way from the beginning. I noticed that the "line ending" was set to UNIX format (indicator on bottom right of the window), but I'm working on Windows. When I use the menu to convert it to Windows format (CR+LF), it changes this indicator, but the code stays on one single line.

Is there a way to tell PBDOM to export the XML file with a nice output ?

Thank you !

Notes :
- Opening the XML file with Internet Explorer or Google Chrome gives me a nice vizualisation, with indentation, line breaks...
- Adding a <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?> does not help (I've been doing it while exporting some more complex files, but I still get the output on one line...)

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I don't know an option for pretty output in PBDOM.

You can use the Microsoft XML Core Services. There is a MXXMLWriter class for output. There is a "indent" property for "pretty printing".

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Thanks for this ! Since PBDOM can export the tree as a string or even a file, maybe it could transmit the output to a MXXMLWriter so it can format it properly.

Now I just have to find out how to use this class in Powerbuilder.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

You can use the ActiveX components.

Here are visual basic examples: vb6 - Forcing MSXML to format XML output with indents and newlines - Stack Overflow

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I managed to create a MSXML document with an OLE object (not sure of what I did), but these functions look quite heavy, considering that I used PBDOM especially in order to get rid of the writing matters...

Is there a way to use MXXML in Powerbuilder, instead of MSXML ?

I'm new with Powerbuilder, sorry

edit : I managed to use MXXML writer objects in my Powerbuilder code, but am still struggling a bit about writing the file itself. I'll keep you informed

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Here is a very simple powerbuilder example. It uses MSXML instead of PBDOM. See my comments for hints how to use it with PBDOM.

oleobject lole_dom, lole_root, lole_element1, lole_element11, lole_element12

oleobject lole_Writer, lole_saxreader

string ls_result

// build DOM (you don't need this if you use PBDOM)

lole_dom = create oleobject

lole_dom.ConnectToNewObject ("Msxml2.DOMDocument")

lole_root = lole_dom.CreateElement ("NodeRoot")

lole_dom.documentElement = lole_root

lole_element1 = lole_dom.CreateElement("Node1")

lole_root.AppendChild(lole_element1)

lole_element1.SetAttribute("Attr", "AttrValue")

lole_element11 = lole_dom.CreateElement("Node11")

lole_element11.AppendChild (lole_dom.CreateTextNode("Here is a value"))

lole_element1.AppendChild(lole_element11)

lole_element12 = lole_dom.CreateElement("Node12")

lole_element12.AppendChild (lole_dom.CreateTextNode("Here is another value"))

lole_element1.AppendChild(lole_element12)

// this saves the DOM without formatting

//lole_dom.save ("d:\testxml.xml")

// this part is for formating

lole_Writer = create oleobject

lole_saxreader = create oleobject

lole_Writer.ConnectToNewObject ("MSXML2.MXXMLWriter")

lole_saxreader.ConnectToNewObject ("MSXML2.SAXXMLReader")

lole_Writer.omitXMLDeclaration = True

lole_Writer.indent = True

lole_saxreader.contentHandler = lole_Writer

// instead of DOM you can also put a XML string to parser: lole_saxreader.parse ("<node>...</node>")

// so you can also use the PBDOM output directly

lole_saxreader.parse (lole_dom)

// here is your formatted output

ls_Result = lole_Writer.output

MessageBox ("", ls_result)

lole_writer.Disconnectobject( )

lole_saxreader.Disconnectobject( )

lole_dom.Disconnectobject( )

DESTROY lole_writer

DESTROY lole_saxreader

DESTROY lole_dom

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

You rock ! It works !

I had some trouble figuring out how to connect the Reader and the Writer, but now thanks to you I can get a properly indented string.
I can then use it with the PBDOM_Builder to get my final XML file !

Thanks a lot !

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

By the way, it seems that the lole_Writer.omitXMLDeclaration = True property isn't working... I still get the <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16LE" standalone="no" ?> line added to the top.

edit : same goes for the .standlone property, which is supposed to hide the standalone part if set to True...

But I can deal with that ! Thanks again

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

In the documentation of omitXMLDeclaration property you find this:

"The XML declaration is always written if ConformanceLevel is set to Document, even if OmitXmlDeclaration is set to true."

Maybe this is the reasion.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Oh yeah, I think I had seen that but I wondered how to change that ConformanceLevel... And I was pretty tired >.<

edit : damn, I cannot find a way to set that property... It looks like I must set the ConformanceLevel property to Fragment (since it's Document by default), but I can't just type "lole_writer.ConformanceLevel = Fragment", since Powerbuilder doesn't recognize it.
I suppose I should create another OLEObject connected to a XmlWriterSettings object, and somehow attach it to my existing MXXML writer. But how do you know the exact parameter you have to use in the ConnectToNewObject function ?

Moreover, since my object is a MXXMLWriter and not a XmlWriter, can I really access that property ?

I'm gonna check again. Thanks for the tip, you're really saving me here

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sorry, my mistake. You are right, ConformanceLevel ist not for MXXMLWriter.

But for me my example works as expected. Don't know why you get the xml declaration in your output.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

No problem, you already helped me a lot. Thanks

edit : I'm stupid, really stupid... The actual result string doesn't have the declaration. It's the PBDOM_Builder that adds the declaration when I build the document from the string. I'm stupid

[CobyKako]

Hello Tarek,

According to specification (Sections 2.10 and 2.11 of Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fifth Edition)), XML indentation is not mandatory, hence not implemented by PB built-in PBDOM functions.

I'm not sure if there is a way to force an indentation.

Jacob

[Former Member]

Hello,

Thank you for your answer

It's sad but you're right, it's not mandatory. Actually, I'm even able to have a correct validation with a XSD file.

It was just so the customers could take a look at these files just by opening them with the notepad... But I guess then can use a browser too ^^

[CobyKako]

Hi Tarek again,

Check that info:

Formatting the exported XML

HTH

Jacob

[Former Member]

Hi Jacob,

this option is only for datawindow export!

[CobyKako]

You're right René

Hence, no real straightforward solution.

I also found out a similar CR raised by another customer some time ago:

Sybase Inc - Search

Jacob

[Former Member]

Well at least there is a workaround, which is better than nothing !

Thanks

[Former Member]

And maybe I could try loading a XML file or a string into the Datawindow, then export it again from the Datawindow with that option enabled.

I'll try to see if it's possible