CODEWITHSUNDEEP
xmlcomments
Laxmikanth Samudrala
Laxmikanth Samudrala

Reputation: 2243

Nested comments in XML?

Are these nested comments allowed in a XML file?

<!-- Making only one observation attempting to correct the error code -->
<!-- <component>
       <!-- Result observation template -->
            <!-- <id root="2.16.840.1.113883.19.5.10" extension="103220"/>
     </component> -->

Upvotes: 77

Views: 41083

Answers (7)

SailorDad
SailorDad

Reputation: 21

Here is how I accomplished the task. It's quick and dirty, but it shows the process. It parses properly and uses the NP++ Block comment/uncomment style

Python:

dummyCoordinates = [(0,0),(1000,0),(1000,10000),(0,10000),]

comment1 = ET.Comment("<CutoutSubdesign>")
xmlTag.insert(1, comment1)

comment2 = ET.Comment("\t<Polygon>")
xmlTag.insert(2, comment2)

idxCount = 3

for X,Y in dummyCoordinates:
    comment = ET.Comment("\t\t<Point x=\"{:.3f}um\" y=\"{:.3f}um\"/>".format(X,Y))
    xmlTag.insert(idxCount, comment)
    idxCount += 1

comment3 = ET.Comment("\t</Polygon>")
xmlTag.insert(idxCount, comment3)

comment4 = ET.Comment("</CutoutSubdesign>")
xmlTag.insert(idxCount + 1, comment4)

Result:

<!--<CutoutSubdesign>-->
<!--    <Polygon>-->
<!--        <Point x="0.000um" y="0.000um"/>-->
<!--        <Point x="1000.000um" y="0.000um"/>-->
<!--        <Point x="1000.000um" y="10000.000um"/>-->
<!--        <Point x="0.000um" y="10000.000um"/>-->
<!--    </Polygon>-->
<!--</CutoutSubdesign>-->

Upvotes: 0

Andrew D. Bond
Andrew D. Bond

Reputation: 1280

Without a workaround described below, it's not allowed because -- can't appear in a comment.

Potential solutions:

  1. Visual Studio Code Nested Comments extension
  2. Notepad++ XML Tools plugin
  3. Using an XML processing instruction

Upvotes: 0

Philip Beck
Philip Beck

Reputation: 385

Notepad++ together with the plugin XML Tools can do this.

Select a block of xml and on the xml tools submenu selected "Comment Selection".

Each existing "inner xml comment" will be altered so that it looks like this

  <!{1}** inner xml comment **{1}>

and if you add another outer comment in this way, those original inner comments will be further altered to

  <!{2}** inner xml comment **{2}>

Upvotes: 5

psychoslave
psychoslave

Reputation: 3031

As it is said in How do I comment out a block of tags in XML?, you can try to wrap your code with a non-existing processing-instruction, e.g.:

<?ignore
<component>
       <!-- Result observation template -->
            <!-- <id root="2.16.840.1.113883.19.5.10" extension="103220"/>
     </component> 
?>

Upvotes: 49

Brent Writes Code
Brent Writes Code

Reputation: 19603

No, the string -- is not permitted to appear within comments in XML. So the fact you have -- show up inside another comment is going to cause failures.

And trying to post that answer also broke the text entry parsing ;)

For further proof, check the W3C specification:

http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-xml-20081126/#sec-comments

The phrase

For compatibility, the string " -- " (double-hyphen) MUST NOT occur within comments.]

appears in the first paragraph of the section on XML comments.

Upvotes: 60

annakata
annakata

Reputation: 75814

In a word - no.

The first encountered end-comment marker will, er... end the comment and the rest of it will look somewhat unpleasant from there on out.

Upvotes: 5

Quentin
Quentin

Reputation: 943569

You can't. -- both starts and terminates a comment. This makes nesting them impossible.

Upvotes: 4

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