find() method in ElementTree

[mirandacascade@yahoo.com]

I do not understand how to use the find() method in ElementTree.

The file 'sample.xml' is:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<SampleRoot>
<Header>
<Product>FindMy stery</Product>
</Header>
<SpecificInform ation>
<SampleDetail>a bc</SampleDetail>
</SpecificInforma tion>
</SampleRoot>
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> from elementtree.Ele mentTree import ElementTree
>>> doc = ElementTree(fil e='sample.xml')
>>> iterList = doc.getiterator ()
>>> iterList[/color][/color][/color]
[<Element SampleRoot at 1166850>, <Element Header at 1166878>, <Element
Product at 11668a0>, <Element SpecificInforma tion at 1166940>, <Element
SampleDetail at 1166990>][color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> len(iterList)[/color][/color][/color]
5[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> element = iterList[4]
>>> element.tag[/color][/color][/color]
'SampleDetail'[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> x = doc.find('Sampl eDetail')
>>> if x == None:[/color][/color][/color]
.... print 'x is none'
....
x is none[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>[/color][/color][/color]

The ElementTree documentation indicates that:
"find(patte rn) returns the first subelement that matches the given
pattern, or None if there is no matching element."

and

"the pattern argument can either be a tag name, or a path expression"

Based on the following snippet from the interactive window:
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> doc = ElementTree(fil e='sample.xml')
>>> iterList = doc.getiterator ()
>>> element = iterList[4]
>>> element.tag[/color][/color][/color]
'SampleDetail'

I inferred (perhaps incorrectly) that within doc there is a subelement
with a tag 'SampleDetail'.

Based on the following snippet:
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> x = doc.find('Sampl eDetail')
>>> if x == None:[/color][/color][/color]
.... print 'x is none'
....
x is none

I conclude that there is no subelement in doc with a tag
'SampleDetails' .

My questions:
1) in the example above is there a subelement of doc with a tag
'SampleDetails' ?
2) if so, what is the proper way of writing the call to the find()
method to locate that subelement?

[Fredrik Lundh]

Re: find() method in ElementTree

mirandacascade@ yahoo.com wrote:
[color=blue]
> My questions:
> 1) in the example above is there a subelement of doc with a tag
> 'SampleDetails' ?[/color]

find only searches for direct subelements; SampleDetail is not a direct
subelement to SampleRoot, since there's a SpecificInforma tion element
in between.
[color=blue]
> 2) if so, what is the proper way of writing the call to the find()
> method to locate that subelement?[/color]

elem = doc.find(".//SampleDetail")

should work.

</F>