XML Normalize

This program allows normalizing arbitrary xml files.
Normalization can be configured:

* sort sibling elements based on some attribute value
* remove unwanted nodes
* trim texts
* normalize whitespaces/line breaks

This can be used as a post-/pre-processing step to keep diffs small for generated xml files.

Usage

Either install via npm i -g xml_normalize or run directly with npx xml_normalize.

``text
Usage: npx xml_normalize [options]

Options:
-i, --input-file input file
-o, --output-file output file - if not provided result is printed to stdout
-r, --remove-path simple XPath(s) to remove elements - e.g. "/html/head[1]/script"
-s, --sort-path simple XPath that references an attribute to sort - e.g. "/html/head[1]/script/@src"
--no-pretty Disable pretty format output
--no-trim Disable trimming of whitespace at the beginning and end of text nodes (trims only pure text nodes)
--no-attribute-trim Disable trimming whitespace at the beginning and end of attribute values
-tf, --trim-force Trim the whitespace at the beginning and end of text nodes (trims as well text adjacent to nested nodes)
-n, --normalize-whitespace Normalize whitespaces inside text nodes and attribute values
-d, --debug enable debug output
-h, --help display help for command
`

Options and Examples

$3

Allows to sort siblings at a specific path
with the same tag name lexicographically
based on a specific attribute value.

Example:

`xml


should be last
should be first


should be last
should be first


`

npx xml_normalize -s /root/node/child/@id will create:

`xml


should be first
should be last


should be first
should be last


`

$3

Allows to remove nodes in a specific path.


Example:

`xml


should be removed
should be removed


should stay
should stay


`

npx xml_normalize -r /root/node[1]/child will create:

`xml



should stay
should stay


`

npx xml_normalize -r /root/node/child instead, will create:

`xml




`

$3

This option replaces any number of consecutive whitespace, tab, new line characters with a single whitespace (in text nodes).

Example:

`xml


some xml
has messed up
formatting



some more mess


`

npx xml_normalize --normalize-whitespace will create:

`xml


some xml has messed up formatting
some more mess


`

$3

Paths are a simple subset of XPaths.

`
/ROOT/NODE_NAME[INDEX]/ANOTHER_NODE
`

Supported:

* Only absolute paths
* Index access (note in XPath indices are 1-based!)
* Simple predicates using the following functions (parameters can be string (double quotes) or XPaths):
* starts-with(str,prefix)
* contains(str,contained)
Node wildcard - e.g /root/ to select all nodes in root of any type.
* Attribute reference in last node - e.g. /root/node/@id`.

What is this good for?

This helps to bring xml in a standardized form,
so that changes can easily be spotted in diff tool or git pull request.

For example, you could run it as a post processing/pre commit script when re-generating XLIFF translation files
(or getting them back from your beloved translator in a messed up form).

Contribute

PRs always welcome :-)