CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptxmlrecursiongoogle-apps-script
Ben Ellis-Gowland
Ben Ellis-Gowland

Reputation: 1

When parsing XML with recursive function, how do I return a string or array from that function?

I've got a working recursive function which goes through an XML doc looking for a matching node name, and then logging matching values...I'm trying to modify it to return a string or an array, and can't figure it out.

This is in Google Apps script. I've tried passing in a blank string into the function, and then returning it at the end, but it doesn't work. Here is the working Logger function:

function logChildren(elements, dataRequired){

 for (var i = 0; i < elements.length; i++) {
  if (elements[i].getName() == dataRequired){
   Logger.log(elements[i].getText());
  }
  if(elements[i].getContentSize() > 1){
    var children = elements[i].getChildren();
    logChildren(children, dataRequired);
  }
 } 

};

I tried passing in an empty string, and then returning it like this but it doesn't work:

function logChildren(elements, dataRequired, str){

 for (var i = 0; i < elements.length; i++) {
  if (elements[i].getName() == dataRequired){
   str = str + ", " + elements[i].getText();
  }
  if(elements[i].getContentSize() > 1){
    var children = elements[i].getChildren();
    logChildren(children, dataRequired, str);
  }
 } 

return str
};

How do I get a string or array OUT of this function, rather than just console logging it?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 83

Answers (3)

TheMaster
TheMaster

Reputation: 50764

You should use a global variable or another function, so that the output variable str is outside the scope of the recursed function.

var str = "";//holds all data of recursion
function logChildren(elements, dataRequired){
 ..
 str += ", " + elements[i].getText();
 ..
}

Upvotes: 0

Daz Chest
Daz Chest

Reputation: 66

Providing your elements is already parsed and valid, this should work.

function logChildren(elements, dataRequired){
    values = [];
    req = elements.getElementsByTagName(dataRequired);
    for (var i = 0; i < req.length; i++) {
        values.push(req[i].childNodes[0].nodeValue);
    } 
    return values
};
elements = "<house>" + 
            "<name>hello</name>" +
            "<town>world</town>" +
            "<name>cat</name>" +
            "<folder>" +
                "<name>kitty</name>" +
            "</folder>" +
            "</house>";
p = new DOMParser();
elements = p.parseFromString(elements, "text/xml");
newValues = logChildren(elements, "name")
console.log(newValues);

I've included my own little xml just to test, and it returns an array.

As you can see, getElementsByTagName even returns values in sub folders.

Upvotes: 0

Arun Prasat
Arun Prasat

Reputation: 360

Instead of returning str try without it, because str will have all the values. If you return str it might collapse the current iteration. Please let us know whether this worked

Upvotes: 0

Related Questions