add/delete/update records to a xml file, suitable Perl Module?

[mikeht]

For start I've searched this site and used google, i've found that XML::Smart (latest from CPAN) to be closest in what can be used to add record(s) to a xml file. Other Perl Modules which could do the 3 functions welcome. With XML::Smart: Is there a way to avoid outputting the following 2 lines in filename.xml when using $XML->save('filename.xml')

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
<?meta name="GENERATOR" content="XML::Smart/1.6.9 Perl/5.008008 [cygwi
+n]" ?>

When running the examples in documentation:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use XML::Parser;
use XML::Smart;
use Data::Dumper;

my $XML = new XML::Smart(q`
 <hosts>
    <server os="linux" type="redhat" version="8.0">
      <address>192.168.0.1</address>
      <address>192.168.0.2</address>
    </server>
    <server os="linux" type="suse" version="7.0">
      <address>192.168.1.10</address>
      <address>192.168.1.20</address>
    </server>
 </hosts>
`,'smart');

$XML = $XML->cut_root ;

  ## Add a new server node:
  my $newsrv = {
  os      => 'Linux' ,
  type    => 'Mandrake' ,
  version => 8.9 ,
  address => [qw(192.168.3.201)]
#  address => [qw(192.168.3.201 192.168.3.202)]
  } ;
 
  push(@{$XML->{server}} , $newsrv) ;
$XML->save('newfile.xml') ;

Display is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
<?meta name="GENERATOR" content="XML::Smart/1.6.9 Perl/5.008008 [cygwi
+n]" ?>
<hosts>
  <server os="linux" type="redhat" version="8.0">
    <address>192.168.0.1</address>
    <address>192.168.0.2</address>
  </server>
  <server os="linux" type="suse" version="7.0">
    <address>192.168.1.10</address>
    <address>192.168.1.20</address>
  </server>
  <server address="192.168.3.201" os="Linux" type="Mandrake" version="
+8.9"/>
</hosts>

How to get it as (so that the items are inserted same order as in $newsvr object and not sorted). Wisdoms welcome

<hosts>
  <server os="linux" type="redhat" version="8.0">
    <address>192.168.0.1</address>
    <address>192.168.0.2</address>
  </server>
  <server os="linux" type="suse" version="7.0">
    <address>192.168.1.10</address>
    <address>192.168.1.20</address>
  </server>
  <server os="Linux" type="Mandrake" version="8.9">
    <address>192.168.3.201</address>
  </server>
</hosts>

Thank you.

[AltBlue]

...
push @{ $xml->{server} }, $newsrv;
$xml->{server}[-1]{address}->set_node(1);

[dHarry]

You could take a look at XML::Twig as well. It was adviced to me by other monks (see http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=698641) and currently I am taking a good look at it myself.

[Bloodnok]

Why would you want to exclude the standard XML header ... seems a bit odd to me - but thanx anyway for the pointer to XML::Smart.

[Jenda]

Possibly because the result is to be included in a bigger XML file. And the XML header cannot be repeated.

[Bloodnok]

Hi Jenda ,

My reading of the OP was that XML tools were to be used for the manipulation of the XML files - if that weren't the case, then you have a point that I totally failed to spot.
Otherwise, the header would be of no concern since the tool of choice would handle it.