How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script

Siegfried_13 has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi PerlMonks, I am a newbie in perl and I would like seek helpon how to parse multiple xml files from a directory using a single perl script. Ex. If I execute the "Perl Clean.pl" in the cmd. All xml files in the same directory will remove the unwanted tags, without affecting its filename or should I say it will retain its filename or its better if I also send it on another directory. Below is my code: Many Thanks!

#!/xce/bin/perl -w

use warnings;

opendir(DIR, ".") or die "cannot open directory";
@docs = grep(/\.xml$/,readdir(DIR));
foreach $file (@docs) {
open (INFILE, "$file") or die "could not open $file\n";

# Process error data to rectify the error records in massaged data

while (<INFILE>) {

    while(/<p>\s*<text>([^\000]*?)<\/text>\s*<\/p>/){
    $temp=$1;
    
    $temp=~s/<p[^\000]*?\/>//gmi;
    $temp=~s/<br\/>//gmi;
    
    s/<p>\s*<text>[^\000]*?<\/text>\s*<\/p>/<P>\n<TEXT>$temp<\/TEXT>\n
+<\/P>/;
        }
    
    s/(<\/?)TEXT/$1text/gm;
    s/(<\/?)P/$1p/gm;
    
       print $_;                     # Output the contents of $_ to 
                                         # output file

    }                                   

#Close the infile.
close(INFILE);

}
[download]

Comment on How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script Download Code

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Re: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by dHarry (Abbot) on Jun 03, 2014 at 11:04 UTC
Parse an XML file? ==> use an XML parser! E.g. XML::Twig or XML::LibXML Using REs is sooner or later going to bite you. Cheers Harry	[reply]
Re: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by 2teez (Vicar) on Jun 03, 2014 at 11:39 UTC
Hi Siegfried_13, ..seek helpon how to parse multiple xml files from a directory using a single perl script... There are two suggestion I can give here: Never parse XML using a regex. There are several modules you could use like XML::LibXML and the likes Since, all the xml files are in the same directory, and there are no sub-directories to check for xml files. Simply, use opendir, readdir get the files ending with .xml and using a for-loop or a while-loop as the case may be. I know taint had mentioned using a File::Find, but for me, it will be like killing an ant with a sledged hammer All of these can be done in a single perl script. Hope this helps. If you tell me, I'll forget. If you show me, I'll remember. if you involve me, I'll understand. --- Author unknown to me	[reply]
Re^2: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by taint (Chaplain) on Jun 03, 2014 at 12:15 UTC
@2teez: Your comment about File::Find may have some merit right now. But my suggestion makes his script FutureProof. Who's to say how many (sub)directories will be used tomorrow, or `{...}`? ++ to you anyway. :) --Chris Ąλɐp ʇɑəɹ⅁ ɐ əʌɐɥ puɐ ʻꜱdləɥ ꜱᴉɥʇ ədoH	[reply]
Re^3: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by 2teez (Vicar) on Jun 03, 2014 at 12:53 UTC
taint, ..But my suggestion makes his script FutureProof.. I agree, but who knows when? More so, can we take the step to the future one at a time? wink ;) If you tell me, I'll forget. If you show me, I'll remember. if you involve me, I'll understand. --- Author unknown to me	[reply]
Re: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by taint (Chaplain) on Jun 03, 2014 at 10:53 UTC
Greetings, Siegfried_13. If I were you, I think I'd look to using File::Find where recursive file manipulation is concerned. In your use case, anyway. I'd also look to chomping the files, to run against your RE's. As I read your example. I don't think you'll get what you're after, unless you do. Using chomp you'll get the files, line-by-line. Best wishes. --Chris Ąλɐp ʇɑəɹ⅁ ɐ əʌɐɥ puɐ ʻꜱdləɥ ꜱᴉɥʇ ədoH	[reply]
Re: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by RichardK (Parson) on Jun 03, 2014 at 12:43 UTC
To get a list of all the xml files, I think it's much easier to use glob `my @docs = glob('dir/*.xml');` [download] BTW, do check the docs to fully understand how glob works, (paths with spaces may not work as you expect!).	[reply] [d/l]
Re: How to run multiple xml in a directory on a single perl script by locked_user sundialsvc4 (Abbot) on Jun 03, 2014 at 14:14 UTC
Definitely use an XML processing library in Perl to do all of the work involved in parsing the XML files. I most-often use XML::LibXML because it uses a very commonly-used XML processing library, such that your program might well be reading the file using the same software that the client used to produce it. Don’t overlook the possibility of running your Perl program from the command-line with a parameter such as `somedir/*.xml`, or something along those lines, which would invoke your program multiple times passing one file at a time to it as a command-line parameter. Another way to do it, but sometimes a very useful one.