Re: Replace 1 Char with 3Char's

Hi Jim,

<snip>
This is an XML file that I am getting via the httpapi via http_url_post

function [Thanks Scott!], in an RPG program. The program I'm trying to

replace is a Delphi program that took a block of data and did a replace

in each block of data with some Delphi function that would replace "<"

with 'CRLF' +"<" so that it could be later copied into a fix length

record format to process on the iSeries. (the xml is all one long

string, yuck!)
</snip>

Firstly, does it matter that the xml is one long string? Surely it is being processed by a program and the program wont care. If you want it formatted for you to read - open it with a browser, it will format it for humans to read. In fact they will provide a tree structure to make it really easy to read. Or maybe there are some side-effects of your process that are used in the fixed-length record format build. I say 'side-effects' because the process does more than 'format' the xml:

This brings me onto the second point:

We are talking xml. the '<' character is part of the xml markup language and is found EVERYWHERE in an xml file. The solution of replacing a '<' with a CRLF + '<' will put CRLF in places you may not expect.

Consider this simple document:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!DOCTYPE PUBLIC "http://some.dtd.url"; >
<!-- This is a comment -->
<root>
<element1>Value1</element1>
<element2>Value2</element2>

<element3>Value3</element3>

</root>

In the 'yukky' state it would look like this:

<?xml version="1.0" ?><!DOCTYP PUBLIC "http://some.url"; ><!-- This is a comment --><root><element1>Value1</element1><element2>Value1</element2><element3>Value1</element3></root>

Which is perfectly fine, if not pretty for humans to read.

Using the replace scenario above would make it look like this:

CRLF<?xml version="1.0" ?>CRLF<!DOCTYP PUBLIC "http://some.url";

CRLF<!-- This is a comment

-->CRLF<root>CRLF<element1>Value1CRLF</element1>CRLF<element2>Value2CRLF</element2>CRLF<element3>Value3CRLF</element3>CRLF</root>


Replacing CRLF with actual carriage returns and line feeds:


<?xml version="1.0" ?>

<!DOCTYPE PUBLIC "http://some.dtd.url"; >

<!-- This is a comment -->

<root>

<element1>Value1
</element1>

<element2>Value2
</element2>


<element3>Value3
</element3>


</root>



The important point is to look at the values INSIDE the elements within the root element. they have a training CRLF in the data:

<element1>Value1CRLF</element1>
<element2>Value2CRLF</element2>
<element3>Value3CRLF</element3>

The close tag also starts with a '<' and will be replaced with CRLF + '<'. Thus you are putting whitespace into the data content of the elements. element1 now has a value of Value1CRLF.

This may, or may not, have an impact on your software (I'm guessing as the original Delphi program does this it is OK for you - the trailing CRLF may have been used for delimiting the data in the fixed-length record format: Who knows!). But we must be aware that this is not necessarily a 'good' solution for all instances and that this should be stated for the archive.

Good luck!

Cheers

Larry Ducie

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