Convert xml file to csv in shell script?

Question

I'm trying to convert a xml file to a csv file. I have an input xml file like this:

<Row>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >START</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="DateTime" >2013-01-15T21:30:42</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" ></Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >Start 'suite8'</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >Test 'suite8' started</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" ></Data>
  </Cell>
</Row>
<Row/>
<Row>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >START_TEST_CASE</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="DateTime" >2013-01-15T21:30:42</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" ></Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >Start 'case1'</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >Test Case 'case1' started</Data>
  </Cell>
  <Cell>
    <Data Type="String" >case1</Data>
  </Cell>
</Row>

I'm interested in the bits between the tags <Data Type="String" > and </Data>. Also, a new line should be started when the tag <Row> appears.

The output csv file I want should look like this:

START,2013-01-15T21:30:42,,Test 'suite8' started 

START_TEST_CASE,2013-01-15T21:30:42,,Start 'case1',Test Case 'case1' started,case1

I hope this is clear enough, any help is greatly appreciated :) Thanks!

Your best bet is a perl or python script which will be just a few lines but will be much more robust and faster to write than any shell/grep/sed/awk one might be able to get to work. Are you open to such an option? — sds
– sds, Commented Jan 16, 2013 at 21:45
You do realise that your desired output isn't actually well-formed CSV? The numbers of "columns" between your rows differ.... — tink
– tink, Commented Jan 16, 2013 at 21:47
sds: I'm open to other options, but I know even less in perl or python script. I'm a newbie :( — Babycece
– Babycece, Commented Jan 16, 2013 at 22:43

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:01:28Z

2

Take a look at xslt stylesheets and the xsltproc command. If it is just converting unconditionally all data to rows with comma separated values from the cell tags it's a relatively simple stylesheet.

A quick search yielded this: XML to CSV Using XSLT With a few adaptations to your xml it should do what you need.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:01

CommunityBot

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answered Jan 16, 2013 at 21:57

Bernhard

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Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:52:56Z

0

Parsing XML with Bash has been addressed here before:

How to parse XML in Bash?

That said it seems like a painful way to live.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:52

CommunityBot

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answered Jan 16, 2013 at 21:46

Slartibartfast

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1 Comment

Babycece Over a year ago

It looks very painful indeed, aarrgghh! :)

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