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I want filter information from a .xml file, from elements that look like this:

XMLElement["div", {"class" -> "art_title linkable"},
  {XMLElement["a", {"shape" -> "rect", "class" -> "ref nowrap", "href" -> "XXXX"},
    {"name"} ]}]

I use the following code to filter out the text from the a element:

Cases[data, 
 XMLElement[
    "div", {"class" -> "art_title linkable"}, {XMLElement[
      "a", {___}, {papername_}]}] :> {papername}, {0, Infinity}];

(* {{"name"}} *)

But this does not work if the content of the a element is more complicated:

XMLElement["div", {"class" -> "art_title linkable"},
  {XMLElement["a", {"shape" -> "rect", "class" -> "ref nowrap", "href" -> "XXXX"},
    {XMLElement["b", {}, {"namepart1"}], "namepart2"} ]}]

... which gives the result {}.

How can I extract just the text "namepart1namepart2 in this second case?

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  • $\begingroup$ What do you mean "special conditions"? If you just want to handle other XML tags use Alternatives, e.g. XMLElement["a"|"b", _, {papername_}] $\endgroup$
    – b3m2a1
    Nov 18, 2017 at 3:00
  • $\begingroup$ I reworded the question, hopefully for clarity. If you disagree, please revert the change. $\endgroup$
    – WReach
    Nov 18, 2017 at 4:18

1 Answer 1

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We can define a helper function that extracts the text from inner elements:

innerText[list_List] := StringJoin[innerText /@ list]
innerText[XMLElement[_, _, elements_]] := innerText[elements]
innerText[s_String] := s
innerText[_] := ""

Then, given:

data = ImportString[#, "XML"]& @
"<html><body>
  <div class='art_title linkable'>
    <a shape='rect' class='ref nowrap' href='XXXX'>name</a>
  </div>
  <div class='art_title linkable'>
    <a shape='rect' class='ref nowrap' href='XXXX'><b>namepart1</b>namepart2</a>
  </div>
</body></html>"

... we can use innerText within Cases to obtain:

Cases[data
, XMLElement["div", {"class" -> "art_title linkable"}, {XMLElement["a", _, children_]}]
    :> innerText[children]
, {0, Infinity}
]

(* {"name", "namepart1namepart2"} *)
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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you, your method is well, it helpful. $\endgroup$
    – zongxian
    Nov 18, 2017 at 4:17

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