Insert text into an XML node located by an XPath expression with Java code

Question

I have an xml document like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<body>
<request>
<location>
  <address />
</location>
</request> 
</body>

My goal is to insert the value "My Address" into this document in order to have:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<body>
<request>
<location>
  <address>
    My Address
  </address>
</location>
</request> 
</body>

I have to reach this goal in a java class that must create this document reading it from an XML file (ok) and i have an XPath expression (/request/location/address) that indicates me where to put my text ("My address"). How to implement a Java class that allows me, starting from xml and XPath string, to insert a text into a node? This java class must be universal, not bound to a particular XML structure (this is the reason why I use an XPath expression instead of getting the XMl structure into the class). I hope my question is clear.

The XPath /request/location/address would not select anything at all in the document as your root element is body and not request. As for the Java code and XPath, see docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/javax/xml/xpath/… on how to select a node. — Martin Honnen
– Martin Honnen, Commented Mar 9, 2016 at 10:08
Yes, i made mistake in writing XPath, thanks. I don't know how to use the correct XPath expression in order to insert the text in that position. — FDC
– FDC, Commented Mar 10, 2016 at 9:11

vtd-xml-author · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-31 18:01:29Z

1

Here is the code to do this vtd-xml....

import com.ximpleware.*;

public class insertTextNode {
    public static void main(String[] s) throws VTDException, Exception {
        VTDGen vg = new VTDGen();
        AutoPilot ap = new AutoPilot();
        XMLModifier xm = new XMLModifier();
        if (vg.parseFile("input.xml", true)) {
            VTDNav vn = vg.getNav();
            ap.bind(vn);
            xm.bind(vn);
            ap.selectXPath("/body/request/location/address");
            int i=0;
            while((i=ap.evalXPath())!=-1){
                xm.insertAfterHead("myAddress");
            }
            xm.output("output.xml");
        }
    }
}

edited Mar 31, 2016 at 18:01

answered Mar 28, 2016 at 23:17

vtd-xml-author

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2 Comments

FDC Over a year ago

I also solved this problem by myself with JDOM2, but this is a very helpful method, too. When i'll time to write my way i'll update this post with my personal answer. Thank you anyway, vtd.xml-author.

vtd-xml-author Over a year ago

JDOM Is among the slowest and most resource wasteful api out there, here is the proof sdiwc.us/digitlib/journal_paper.php?paper=00000582.pdf

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