[Python] Extracting specific things from XML

[Snowstorm]

Hey guys,

Extremely frustrating problem, have wasted hours on this and can't find a solution.

I'm using dom/minidom through Python and can't use any other external Python modules.

Basically, we have the following example XML:

<a id="1">
  <b>
	<c>1</c>
	<c>2</c>
	<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
<a id="2">
  <b>
	<c>1</c>
	<c>2</c>
	<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
<a id="3">
  <b>
	<c>1</c>
	<c>2</c>
	<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
[/CODE]

What I'm attempting to do is only pull data from the first [i]c[/i] of every [i]b[/i] element which is nested inside [i]a[/i]. All I'm able to do at the moment is pull all data contained in all available [i]c[/i]'s.

[CODE]
sText = dom.getElementsByTagName('a')
for node in sText:
sTextList = node.getElementsByTagName('c')
for i in sTextList:
dataText = i.firstChild.data
print dataText.encode('utf-8'), "<br />"
[/CODE]

Currently, all this achieves is:

[CODE]
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
[/CODE]

Is there a way I just pull the FIRST [i]c[/i] (as in, only "1") instead of all of them with the above code? This is driving me insane...

Thanks in advance!

[Tuishimi]

Your loop is grabbing all the "C"s... then with each individual "C" you grab the first child/data... so you are still just looping through each "C" and displaying its data.

[Tuishimi]

I haven't used Python in 5 or so years but... let me install it and write your program...

[Snowstorm]

You're a legend, thanks for that. I'll still be trying to sort this out - not really moving too well right now...

[Tuishimi]

This is more drawn out than it needs to be... but it works... You could cut several of my steps short if you wanted.

from xml.dom.minidom import *
doc = """
<doc>
<a id="1">
  <b>
		<c>1</c>
		<c>2</c>
		<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
<a id="2">
  <b>
		<c>1</c>
		<c>2</c>
		<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
<a id="3">
  <b>
		<c>1</c>
		<c>2</c>
		<c>3</c>
  </b>
</a>
</doc>
"""
dom = parseString(doc)
sText = dom.getElementsByTagName('a')
for node in sText:
	sTextList = node.getElementsByTagName('b')
	for i in sTextList:
		print i.getElementsByTagName('c')[0].childNodes[0].data
[/CODE]

[Snowstorm]

You are AMAZING, thank you so much - it worked right away! :D

Mind is finally at ease with this - been a very long day...