how to save the text between xml tags in python?

Question

I am trying to get the text between the xml tags. There are several posts about it, but what I don't understand is how to save it in a variable. The code below prints what I want, but as soon as I replace "print" with "return" it doesn't save this text in the variable. I think I am missing something very simple here.

from xml.sax import make_parser, handler

line = '<text><p><s id="1">Some text <someothertag>some more text</someothertag></s></p></text>'
class extract_text(handler.ContentHandler):
    def characters(self, data):
        print data.strip()

parser = make_parser()
parser.setContentHandler(extract_text())
parser.feed(line)

So I would like to have a variable, which would be equal to "Some text some more text" Any idea is very welcome!

Roman-Stop RU aggression in UA · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-20 16:49:53Z

1

If you just return value from the handler it will not be stored anywhere. You need to do it yourself:

result = ''

class extract_text(handler.ContentHandler):
    def characters(self, data):
        global result
        result += data.strip() + '\n'

parser = make_parser()
parser.setContentHandler(extract_text())
parser.feed(line)

print(result)

answered Mar 20, 2018 at 16:49

Roman-Stop RU aggression in UA

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2 Comments

student Over a year ago

When I put this function in another one I get an error "global name 'result' is not defined". And when it is outside of this other function, each string is concatenated with the previous one. So at the end it is one big string. Do you have an idea, what I should adapt? I have only found the advises to use "self", but it is already there. Thank you!

Roman-Stop RU aggression in UA Over a year ago

If you have some other problem you need to ask another question do describe it in details that is provide the code, errors etc. Sorry, I can't understand what you are doing and what is not working.

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