How to append new data to existing XML using Python ElementTree
Last Updated :
26 Feb, 2024
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a widely used format for storing and transporting data. In Python, the ElementTree module provides a convenient way to work with XML data. When dealing with XML files, it is common to need to append new data to an existing XML document. This can be achieved efficiently using Python's ElementTree module.
What is Python ElementTree?
Python's ElementTree module is part of the standard library and provides a simple and lightweight way to parse, manipulate, and create XML documents. It follows the ElementTree API, allowing you to work with XML in a tree-like structure. The main classes in the ElementTree module are Element, ElementTree, and ElementTree.ElementTree.
Syntax :
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
tree = ET.parse('existing_xml_file.xml'); tree.getroot().append(ET.Element('new_element_name'))
Advantages:
Below, are the advantages of Python ElementTree.
- Simplicity: Python ElementTree offers a simple and readable syntax for XML manipulation, making it accessible for developers at all skill levels.
- Standard Library Integration: As part of the Python standard library, ElementTree is readily available without the need for additional installations, ensuring broad compatibility.
- Element Manipulation: The API provides efficient methods for creating, modifying, and deleting XML elements, enabling easy data manipulation within XML documents.
- Namespace Support: ElementTree handles XML namespaces, crucial for working with complex XML structures and standards that use namespaces to avoid naming conflicts.
How to append new data to existing XML using Python ElementTree
Below, are the example of How to append new data to existing XML using Python ElementTree.
Example 1: Appending New Data to Existing XML
app.py : Below, code utilizes the ElementTree module to manipulate an XML file. It first loads an existing XML file ('existing.xml') and obtains the root element of the XML tree. Subsequently, a new XML element named 'new_element' with the text content 'New data' is created and appended to the root. Finally, the modified XML structure is written back to a new file ('data.xml'), reflecting the addition of the new element.
Python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
# Load the XML file
tree = ET.parse('existing.xml')
root = tree.getroot()
# Create a new element
new_element = ET.Element('new_element')
new_element.text = 'New data'
# Append the new element to the root
root.append(new_element)
# Write the modified XML back to the file
tree.write('exisitng.xml')
existing.html: Below, XML code represents a data structure with an existing element containing the text "Existing data" and a new element with the text "New data" encapsulated within a root element named "data."
XML
<data>
<existing_element>Existing data</existing_element>
<new_element>New data</new_element>
</data>
Output :
existing.xml
<data>
<existing_element>Existing data</existing_element>
<new_element>New data</new_element>
<new_element>New data</new_element></data>
Example 2 : Python XML Manipulation: Adding a New Book Entry
app.py : In below code uses the ElementTree module to parse an existing XML file named 'library.xml.' It creates a new book element with attributes such as title, author, and genre, and appends it to the root of the XML tree.Finally, the updated XML tree is written back to a file named 'updated_library.xml.'
Python3
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
# Parse the existing XML file
tree = ET.parse('library.xml')
root = tree.getroot()
# Create a new book element
new_book = ET.Element('book')
# Add attributes to the new book element
new_book.set('title', 'New Book Title')
new_book.set('author', 'Author Name')
new_book.set('genre', 'Fiction')
# Append the new book element to the root
root.append(new_book)
# Write the updated XML back to a file
tree.write('library.xml')
library.xml: below XML code with a root element <data> containing existing and new child elements. <existing_element> holds "Existing data," and <new_element> has "New data." Represents a basic XML structure for data storage or exchange.
XML
<data>
<existing_element>Existing data</existing_element>
<new_element>New data</new_element>
</data>
Output
library.xml
<data>
<existing_element>Existing data</existing_element>
<new_element>New data</new_element>
<book title="New Book Title" author="Author Name" genre="Fiction" /></data>
Conclusion
In conclusion , Appending new data to an existing XML file using Python ElementTree is a straightforward process. By following the simple syntax and using the capabilities of the ElementTree module, you can efficiently manipulate and update XML documents in your Python applications. This flexibility makes Python a powerful choice for working with XML data in various scenarios, from data processing to web development.
Similar Reads
How to store XML data into a MySQL database using Python?
In this article, we are going to store XML data into the MySQL database using python through XAMPP server. So we are taking student XML data and storing the values into the database. RequirementsXAMPP server: It is a cross-platform web server used to develop and test programs on a local server. It i
3 min read
How to add Elements to a List in Python
In Python, lists are dynamic which means that they allow further adding elements unlike many other languages. In this article, we are going to explore different methods to add elements in a list. For example, let's add an element in the list using append() method:Pythona = [1, 2, 3] a.append(4) prin
2 min read
Append to JSON file using Python
The full form of JSON is JavaScript Object Notation. It means that a script (executable) file which is made of text in a programming language, is used to store and transfer the data. Python supports JSON through a built-in package called JSON. To use this feature, we import the JSON package in Pytho
2 min read
How to add one row in existing Pandas DataFrame?
Adding rows to a Pandas DataFrame is a common task in data manipulation and can be achieved using methods like loc[], and concat(). Method 1. Using loc[] - By Specifying its Index and ValuesThe loc[] method is ideal for directly modifying an existing DataFrame, making it more memory-efficient compar
4 min read
How to generate an XML file dynamically using PHP?
A file can be generated using PHP from the database, and it can be done by the static or dynamic method in PHP. Static methods can be called directly - without creating an instance of a class. Here we are going to discuss how to create an XML file dynamically.The first thing we need to do is fetch t
2 min read
Adding Data into Existing XML File in Python
We are given an XML existing file and our task is to append new data into that existing XML using Python. In this article, we will see how we can append new data to the existing XML using Python. Creating an XML fileIn this example, an XML tree is constructed using the xml.etree.ElementTree module i
3 min read
How to append a new row to an existing csv file?
For writing a CSV file, the CSV module provides two different classes writer and Dictwriter. Here we will discuss 2 ways to perform this task effectively. The First will be 'append a list as a new row to the existing CSV file' and second way is 'Append a dictionary as a new row to the existing CSV f
3 min read
Parsing and converting HTML documents to XML format using Python
In this article, we are going to see how to parse and convert HTML documents to XML format using Python. It can be done in these ways: Using Ixml module.Using Beautifulsoup module.Method 1: Using the Python lxml library In this approach, we will use Python's lxml library to parse the HTML document a
3 min read
How to Convert Excel to XML Format in Python?
Python proves to be a powerful language when the requirement is to convert a file from one format to the other. It supports tools that can be employed to easily achieve the functionality. In this article, we'll find out how we will convert from an Excel file to Extensible terminology (XML) files wit
3 min read
How to Import XML into DataFrame using R
A data frame is a two-dimensional, size-mutable, and heterogeneous data structure with labeled axes (rows and columns). It can be commonly used in the data analysis. Importing the data into the DataFrame is the crucial step in the data manipulation and analysis. DataFrames can be created from variou
4 min read