Automate XML Processing with Python

Learn to use Python to automatically process XML files and strings.

XML is a file format that is used to store and send data in a structured way. And Python is great for working with data.

In this article we will look at how we can process files and strings holding XML data with Python.

Learn to use Python to automatically process XML files and strings. Source: my own screenshot of XML data in Visual Studio Code.

This guide contains the following parts:

• The XML format
• Getting XML data in Python
• Getting values and attributes from XML data in Python
• A Python example of extracting data from XML file

The XML format

The XML format uses pairs of start- and end-tags to define elements. Within these elements there can be values or child elements. The elements can also have attributes which are specified in the start-tag.

Let’s look at an example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<menu>
   <starters>
      <dish id="1">
         <name>Tomato Soup</name>
         <price>3.00</price>
      </dish>
      <dish id="2">
         <name>Salad</name>
         <price>3.00</price>
      </dish>
   </starters>
   <main_dishes>
      <dish id="3">
         <name>Pizza</name>
         <price>5.00</price>
      </dish>…