Different variants of writting XML in Python

writexml.py

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
'''
Example code to write large output in XML with Unicode and namespaces.
This code has been referenced in a lightning talk I gave at EuroPython 2012
in Florence.
'''
# This program is free software. It comes without any warranty, to
# the extent permitted by applicable law. You can redistribute it
# and/or modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want
# To Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
# http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/COPYING for more details.
def testMinidom():
    # - createElementNS() and createAttributeNS() do not work as expected
    # - esoteric discussion about XML serialization at bugs.python.org, issue 1621421
    import xml.dom.minidom

    document = xml.dom.minidom.Document()
    stuff = document.createElement('fin:stuff')
    stuff.setAttribute('xmlns:fin', 'http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/')
    person1 = document.createElement('fin:person')
    person1.setAttribute('fin:key', '234')
    person1.setAttribute('fin:firstname', 'Jane')
    person1.setAttribute('fin:surname', 'Doe')
    stuff.appendChild(person1)
    person2 = document.createElement('fin:person')
    person2.setAttribute('fin:key', '234')
    person2.setAttribute('fin:firstname', u'Svën'.encode('utf-8'))
    person2.setAttribute('fin:surname', u'Höek'.encode('utf-8'))
    stuff.appendChild(person2)

    document.appendChild(stuff)
    with open('test_minidom.xml', 'wb') as out:
        document.writexml(out, encoding='utf-8')


def testEtree():
    # - namespace uses Clark notation instead of XPath

    from xml.etree import ElementTree
    from xml.etree.ElementTree import Element
    from xml.etree.ElementTree import SubElement

    ElementTree.register_namespace('fin','http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/')
    
    root = Element("{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}stuff")
    SubElement(root, "{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}person", {
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}key': '123',
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}firstname': 'Jane',
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}surname': 'Doe'
    })
    SubElement(root, "{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}person", {
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}key': '234',
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}firstname': u'Svën',
            '{http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/}surname': u'Höek'
    })

    tree = ElementTree.ElementTree(root)
    with open('test_etree.xml', 'wb') as out:
        out.write('<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>')
        out.write('<!DOCTYPE finstuff SYSTEM "http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/finstuff.dtd">')
        tree.write(out, xml_declaration=False, encoding='utf-8')


def testSax():
    # - no checks for well formedness
    # - can only write <some></some> instead if <some/> 

    from xml.sax.saxutils import XMLGenerator

    with open('test_sax.xml', 'wb') as out:
        xml = XMLGenerator(out, encoding='utf-8')
        xml.startDocument()
        xml.startElement('fin:stuff', {'xmlns:fin': 'http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/'})
        xml.startElement('fin:person',
                {'fin:key': '123', 'fin:firstname': 'Jane', 'fin:surname': 'Doe'})
        xml.endElement('fin:person')
        xml.startElement('fin:person',
                {'fin:key': '234', 'fin:firstname': u'Svën', 'fin:surname': u'Höek'})
        xml.endElement('fin:stuff')
        xml.endElement('fin:person')
        xml.endDocument()


def testCodecs():
    import codecs
    from xml.sax.saxutils import quoteattr

    def writePerson(out, key, firstName, surName):
        out.write(u'<fin:person fin:key=%s fin:firstname=%s fin:surname=%s />'
                % (quoteattr(str(key)), quoteattr(firstName), quoteattr(surName)))

    with codecs.open('test_codecs.xml', 'w', 'utf-8') as out:
        out.write('<fin:stuff xmlns:fin="http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/">')
        writePerson(out, 123, 'Jane', 'Doe')
        writePerson(out, 234, u'Svën', u'Höek')
        out.write('</fin:stuff>')


def testLoxun():
    import loxun
    
    with open('test_loxun.xml', 'wb') as out:
        with loxun.XmlWriter(out) as xml:
            xml.addNamespace('fin', 'http://financialstuff.example.com/v1.3/')
            xml.startTag('fin:stuff')
            xml.tag('fin:person',
                    {'fin:key': '123', 'fin:firstname': 'Jane', 'fin:surname': 'Doe'})
            xml.tag('fin:person',
                    {'fin:key': '234', 'fin:firstname': u'Svën', 'fin:surname': u'Höek'})
            xml.endTag()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    testMinidom()
    testEtree()
    testSax()
    testCodecs()
    testLoxun()