XMLPath from ant using XMLTasks can't match if XML file has elements in different name spaces

Question

I'm trying to get some matching using XMLTasks to replace some values in a xml file but it keeps failing due to no match. Using other tools it says that my xpath is correct but I can't figure out what's wrong.

Here the file I'm searching:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<project xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/project/1">
    <type>org.netbeans.modules.apisupport.project</type>
    <configuration>
        <data xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-project/3">
            <code-name-base>simple.server.extension.cardgame</code-name-base>
            <suite-component/>
            <module-dependencies>
                <dependency>
                    <code-name-base>marauroa.lib</code-name-base>
                    <build-prerequisite/>
                    <compile-dependency/>
                    <run-dependency>
                        <release-version>3</release-version>
                        <specification-version>8</specification-version>
                    </run-dependency>
                </dependency>
                <dependency>
                    <code-name-base>simple.server.lib</code-name-base>
                    <build-prerequisite/>
                    <compile-dependency/>
                    <run-dependency>
                        <release-version>0-1</release-version>
                        <specification-version>0.2</specification-version>
                    </run-dependency>
                </dependency>
            </module-dependencies>
            <public-packages>
                <package>dreamer.card.game</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.model.events</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.price</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.storage</package>
                <package>simple.server.extension</package>
                <package>simple.server.extension.card</package>
            </public-packages>
            <class-path-extension>
                <runtime-relative-path>ext/extension/x.jar</runtime-relative-path>
                <binary-origin>../../Simple Marauroa Java/Card Game Extension/dist/x.jar</binary-origin>
            </class-path-extension>
            <class-path-extension>
                <runtime-relative-path>ext/extension/y.jar</runtime-relative-path>
                <binary-origin>../../Simple Marauroa Java/Card Game interface/dist/y.jar</binary-origin>
            </class-path-extension>
        </data>
    </configuration>
</project>

And this is the path expression I'm using:

/project/configuration/data/class-path-extension[1]/runtime-relative-path/text()

Here are the relevant parts of the task I'm trying to run:

<target name="s" depends="-define-xmltasks">
        <propertyselector property="subprojects" match="original.project.dir(.*)" select="\1"/>
        <for list="${subprojects}" param="subproject">
            <sequential>
                <xmltask source="nbproject/project.xml" dest="nbproject/project.xml" failWithoutMatch="true">
                    <replace path="/project/configuration/data/class-path-extension[@{subproject}]/runtime-relative-path/text()" 
                             withText="ext/extension/${extension-lib@{subproject}.dist.jar}"/>
                    <replace path="/project/configuration/data/class-path-extension[@{subproject}]/binary-origin/text()" 
                             withText="${original.project.dir@{subproject}}/dist/${extension-lib@{subproject}.dist.jar}"/>
                </xmltask>
            </sequential>
        </for>
    </target>

@{subproject} resolves to a number and already tried changing it for a number but has the same effect. Any idea?

see sourceforge.net/projects/xpe/files/xpe/20030304 for another valuable xpath tool. Available standalone and as eclipse plugin. Another xpath plugin for eclipse is the Xpath-Developer bastian-bergerhoff.com/eclipse/features/web/XPathDeveloper/… — Rebse
– Rebse, Commented Feb 21, 2012 at 21:29

Dimitre Novatchev · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-21 17:54:41Z

And this is the path expression I'm using:
/project/configuration/data/class-path-extension[1]/runtime-relative-path/text()

One way to deal with unprefixed names that are in a non-empty (default) namespace, is to specify the name as a predicate.

Here is an XPath expression written in this style that selects the wanted node(s):

   /*[name()='project']
     /*[name()='configuration']
       /*[name()='data']
         /*[name()='class-path-extension'][1]
           /*[name()='runtime-relative-path']
             /text()

XSLT - based verification:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
 <xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes" indent="yes"/>

 <xsl:template match="/">
  <xsl:copy-of select=
  "/*[name()='project']
     /*[name()='configuration']
       /*[name()='data']
         /*[name()='class-path-extension'][1]
           /*[name()='runtime-relative-path']
             /text()
  "/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

When this transformation is applied on the provided XML document:

<project xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/project/1">
    <type>org.netbeans.modules.apisupport.project</type>
    <configuration>
        <data xmlns="http://www.netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-project/3">
            <code-name-base>simple.server.extension.cardgame</code-name-base>
            <suite-component/>
            <module-dependencies>
                <dependency>
                    <code-name-base>marauroa.lib</code-name-base>
                    <build-prerequisite/>
                    <compile-dependency/>
                    <run-dependency>
                        <release-version>3</release-version>
                        <specification-version>8</specification-version>
                    </run-dependency>
                </dependency>
                <dependency>
                    <code-name-base>simple.server.lib</code-name-base>
                    <build-prerequisite/>
                    <compile-dependency/>
                    <run-dependency>
                        <release-version>0-1</release-version>
                        <specification-version>0.2</specification-version>
                    </run-dependency>
                </dependency>
            </module-dependencies>
            <public-packages>
                <package>dreamer.card.game</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.model.events</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.price</package>
                <package>dreamer.card.game.storage</package>
                <package>simple.server.extension</package>
                <package>simple.server.extension.card</package>
            </public-packages>
            <class-path-extension>
                <runtime-relative-path>ext/extension/x.jar</runtime-relative-path>
                <binary-origin>../../Simple Marauroa Java/Card Game Extension/dist/x.jar</binary-origin>
            </class-path-extension>
            <class-path-extension>
                <runtime-relative-path>ext/extension/y.jar</runtime-relative-path>
                <binary-origin>../../Simple Marauroa Java/Card Game interface/dist/y.jar</binary-origin>
            </class-path-extension>
        </data>
    </configuration>
</project>

the XPath expression is evaluated and the selected node is copied to the output:

ext/extension/x.jar

Note: For incremental building and verification of XPath expressions you can use a tool such as the XPath visualizer. This tool has helped many thousands of people learn XPath the fun way.

Wojteq · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-21 17:08:32Z

3

The problem is that project and data elements are declared in a different namespaces. You may use local-name() attribute in node predicate in following way:

/*[local-name() = 'project'] ...

You may also specify a namespace using namespace-uri attribute:

/*[local-name() = 'project' and namespace-uri() = 'http://www.netbeans.org/ns/project/1'] ...

and so on.

edited Feb 21, 2012 at 17:08

answered Feb 21, 2012 at 16:55

Wojteq

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4 Comments

javydreamercsw Over a year ago

I changed the path to: path="/*[local-name() = 'project' and namespace-url() = 'netbeans.org/ns/project/1']/configuration*[local-name() = 'data' and namespace-url() = 'netbeans.org/ns/nb-module-project/3']/…{subproject}]/runtime-relative-path/text()" but I get an error: javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: Could not find function: namespace-url

Wojteq Over a year ago

Sorry, it's namespace-uri()

javydreamercsw Over a year ago

Changed to uri but still get: <xmltask> subtasks failed to find matches

Wojteq Over a year ago

Maybe try to play with this online xpath tester: xpath.online-toolz.com/tools/xpath-editor.php

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