Java - Generate XML from another XML + XSD

Question

I have an issue with generating a XML file from another XML file. My use case is this:

I have a XML file with the following format:

<tag1>
    <tag2>value2</tag2>
    <tag3>value3_1, value3_2, value3_3</tag3>
    <tag4>
       <tag4_1>value4_1</tag4_1>
       <tag4_2>value4_2</tag4_2>
    </tag4>
</tag1>

Yeah, I know it's pretty messy but that's the way I got it.

I also have an XSD schema which I use to generate corresponding Java classes using JAXB (this works OK).

What I need now is a way to create another XML file from the original one, having this format:

<element name="tag1.tag2">
     <value>value2</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag3">
     <value>value3_1, value3_2, value3_3</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag4.tag4_1"> 
     <value>value4_1</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag4.tag4_2"> 
     <value>value4_2</value>
</element>

Do you have any suggestions regarding what framework/libraries I should use to achieve this without doing my own parsing/creating mechanism?

I was thinking of using XSLT but I don't have any experience with it...

Thanks!

How is XSD relevant here? i see transforming xml from 1 format to another...job of XSLT — Aravind Yarram
– Aravind Yarram, Commented Feb 8, 2012 at 15:35
We are generating the first XML in this example from an XSD using JAXB. — Alex
– Alex, Commented Feb 9, 2012 at 9:55

Dimitre Novatchev · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-08 15:34:39Z

5

This transformation:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
 <xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes" indent="yes"/>
 <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>

 <xsl:template match="*[not(*)]">
  <xsl:variable name="vName">
   <xsl:for-each select="ancestor-or-self::*">
    <xsl:if test="not(position() = 1)">.</xsl:if>
    <xsl:value-of select="name()"/>
   </xsl:for-each>
  </xsl:variable>

  <element name="{$vName}">
   <value><xsl:value-of select="."/></value>
  </element>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

when applied on the provided XML document:

<tag1>
    <tag2>value2</tag2>
    <tag3>value3_1, value3_2, value3_3</tag3>
    <tag4>
        <tag4_1>value4_1</tag4_1>
        <tag4_2>value4_2</tag4_2>
    </tag4>
</tag1>

produces the wanted, correct result:

<element name="tag1.tag2">
   <value>value2</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag3">
   <value>value3_1, value3_2, value3_3</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag4.tag4_1">
   <value>value4_1</value>
</element>
<element name="tag1.tag4.tag4_2">
   <value>value4_2</value>
</element>

answered Feb 8, 2012 at 15:34

Dimitre Novatchev

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2 Comments

Alex Over a year ago

Great answer, thanks! It works like a charm :) I had some more details to the problem, but by adapting the transformation you provided I managed to have a working solution to my problem.

Rookie Programmer Aravind Over a year ago

Awesome logic .. !! :D thumbs-up! :)

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