Library

Everything you need to level up your coding skills.

YAML

Round Tripping YAML Without Losing Comments or Order

Edit a YAML file in code and keep its comments, anchors and quotes. PyYAML drops them, ruamel.yaml and yq keep them, and each changes some whitespace.

6 min read

XML

Reading a SOAP Response and Pulling the Fields You Need

Pull records out of a SOAP response with lxml: mixed-namespace children, xsi:nil, empty versus absent, repeated nodes and exact decimals.

6 min read

XML

Choosing Between XSLT XQuery and a Script for XML Jobs

The same grouping job in XSLT 1.0, XSLT 2.0, XQuery and Python gave the same revenue to the cent. How the four compare on speed, length, exactness and fit.

6 min read

XML

XQuery Basics With BaseX Using FLWOR on XML Files Fast

Query XML with XQuery in BaseX: for, let, where, order by and return, group by with exact decimals, and element constructors, on two sample files.

6 min read

XML

Running XSLT in Python With lxml and What It Reports

Compile a stylesheet once with lxml, pass parameters safely, read xsl:message from the error log, block file and network reads, and know the 1.0 limit.

7 min read

XML

Passing Parameters Into an XSLT Stylesheet Without Surprises

Pass values into XSLT from xsltproc and lxml, and see why a param that looks like a string is read as an XPath expression and silently ignored.

6 min read

XML

Sorting and Filtering XML With XSLT and the Text Sort Trap

Sort with xsl:sort and filter with XPath predicates in XSLT, and avoid the default text sort that put 250000 after 44.00 and 29.50. Multiple keys and case.

6 min read

XML

Grouping Records With XSLT 2 and Muenchian Keys Compared

Group 20,000 invoices by currency with a Muenchian key in XSLT 1.0 and with for-each-group in XSLT 2.0 on Saxon, with sums, counts and timings.

6 min read

XML

XSLT Basics With Templates Match and Apply Templates

How an XSLT processor decides what to run: template match patterns, apply-templates, the built-in rules that dump text, modes, and the identity template.

6 min read

YAML

Converting YAML to a Markdown Table for Docs and READMEs

Generate a Markdown table from a YAML list in Python, escaping pipes, joining lists, handling blanks and keeping the table in sync with the YAML in CI.

6 min read

YAML

Converting an Excel Sheet of Settings Into YAML Using Python

Read a key, value and type sheet with openpyxl, build nested YAML from dotted keys, and keep versions, dates and blanks from changing on the way.

7 min read

YAML

Converting YAML to XML With Python and Valid Names

Convert YAML to XML with xmltodict, using @ keys for attributes, repeated elements for lists, and checks for invalid names and the single-root rule.

7 min read

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