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

Hello, I'm trying to use XML::Simple to serialize datas into xml file. (XMLOut) my data structure: 
my $TestRun= {
        'SuccessfulTests' => [
            {
                'Test' => {
                    'name' => "toto"
                }
            },
            {
                'Test' => {
                    'name' => "titi"
                }
            }
        ],
        
        'FailedTests' => [
            {
                'Test' => {
                        'name' => "tutu"
                    }
            },
            {
                'Test' => {
                        'name' => "tete"
                    }
            }
        ]
};

[download]
And the xml structure I would like to have: 

<TestRun> 

  <SuccessfulTests> 
    <Test> 
      <Name>toto</Name> 
    </Test> 
    <Test> 
      <Name>titi</Name> 
    </Test>   
  </SuccessfulTests> 
  
  <FailedTests> 
    <Test> 
      <Name>tutu</Name> 
    </Test> 
    <Test> 
      <Name>tete</Name> 
    </Test>   
  </FailedTests>

  </TestRun>

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my $xml = new XML::Simple;
my $dec = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>';
print $xml->XMLout($VAR2, XMLDecl => $dec, keyattr => [], RootName => 
+'TestRun');

[download]
result: 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TestRun>
  <SuccessfulTests> 
    <Test name="toto"/> 
  </SuccessfulTests> 
 <SuccessfulTests> 
    <Test name="titi"/> 
  </SuccessfulTests>  
  <FailedTests> 
    <Test name="tutu"/> 
  </FailedTests> 
    <FailedTests> 
    <Test name="tete"/> 
  </FailedTests>   
  </TestRun>

[download]
Unfortunatley, I did not succeeded. I do not want SuccessfulTests and FailedTests to be repeated. Any help would be appreciated. Thx, Totorototo.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: XML::Simple XMLout
by Anonymous Monk on Dec 19, 2014 at 15:25 UTC

    It takes some fiddling, but it turns out to be possible: KeyAttr=>{Test=>'name'}, GroupTags=>{FailedTests=>'Test',SuccessfulTests=>'Test'}, NoAttr=>1, RootName=>'TestRun'

    However, the solution is likely to break for the smallest change in the data structure; this is one of the problems of XML::Simple. I think the module is fine for reading simple configuration files that have been designed to work for it, but for anything beyond that, especially writing XML when you have a specific structure requirement, it starts being too finicky and brittle. One commonly recommended alternative module is XML::Twig, but there are plenty more.

[reply]
[d/l]
      It works fine! Thx! ps: I actually use XML::Simple just because I don't want to manage to many dependencies.
[reply]

        Well ok, but don't be surprised if it breaks when your data structure changes slightly, XML::Simple gets upgraded, etc. ... you've been warned ;-)

        Plus, plenty of other XML modules have about the same amount of dependencies as XML::Simple, so I don't see that as a good reason not to switch to a more powerful XML module.

[reply]
      Hello, It's me again! :) I have changed the data structure just a little bit to something alittle bit more complex, but not too much! Here is my updated struc: 
      my $VAR2 = {
        'SuccessfulTests' => [
            {
                'Test' => {
                    'id' => '1',
                    'name' => 'toto'
                }
            },
            {
                'Test' => {
                    'id' => '1',
                    'name' => 'titi'
                }
            }
        ],
        
        'FailedTests' => [
            {
                'FailedTest' => {
                        'id' => '1',
                        'name' => 'tutu',
                        'svgs' => [
                                    {
                                        'svg' => '\tutu_1.svg'
                                    }
                                ]
                    }
            },
            {
                'FailedTest' => {
                        'id' => '1',
                        'name' => 'tete',
                        'svgs' => [
                                    {
                                        'svg' => '\tete_1.svg'
                                    },
                                    {
                                        'svg' => '\tete_2.svg'
                                    }
                                ]
                    }
            }
        ]
};

      [download]
      What I would like to get is something like this: 
      <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TestRun>
  <SuccessfulTests> 
    <Test name="toto"/> 
  </SuccessfulTests> 
 <SuccessfulTests> 
    <Test name="titi"/> 
  </SuccessfulTests>  
  <FailedTests> 
    <Test name="tutu"/>
    <svgs>
        <svg>\tutu_1.svg</svg>        
    </svgs>    
  </FailedTests> 
    <FailedTests> 
    <Test name="tete"/> 
    <svgs>
        <svg>\tete_1.svg</svg>    
        <svg>\tete_2.svg</svg>    
    </svgs>    
  </FailedTests>   
  </TestRun>

      [download]
      I have tried to use 'GroupTags' to do this but unfortunately I have not succeded. Any help would be appreciated, again :) Thx!
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
Re: XML::Simple XMLout
by Anonymous Monk on Dec 19, 2014 at 21:20 UTC
[reply]

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