Easy way to parse or convert XMLDocument datatype

PowerShell Help
1

I’m using an API that’s returning results as an XMLdocument variable. After reading online, it seemed like it would be simple to parse, but it doesn’t look like others.

https://imgur.com/v7j2CIE

If I expand XmlElement, I’ll see an array of more XmlElement and XmlWhitespace arrays.

Looking under the InnerXML and OuterXML attributes, I can see the data tree but I have no clue how to parse it. I also don’t know what attributes will be returned. I found an attribute of some XmlElements named “InnerText” that seems to have some (maybe all) the information that I’m looking for, but I’d have to manually parse it myself.

Is there a way to simply export it to a CSV or convert it to a more readable data type like an array? Trying to find my way through the array of arrays of XML objects isn’t fun.

Not sure if this means anything to anyone, but I’m making the API call using Invoke-RestMethod

2

Can you post the xml here, you can do it via gist.gihub.com. Its difficult to guess, so at least a dummy XML with same schema will also help.

3

I appreciate the reply.

Here’s the XML with personal information removed: https://pastebin.com/g9uLmXhY

I decided to use pastebin since it doesn’t require an account, hope that is okay.

4

Fine, You can just read the content and type cast the output to XML and is the simplest method.

[xml]$XML = Get-Content -Path  <Path to XML>

#For your XML

$XML.ServiceResponse.data.Asset # will give asset detail.
5

[quote quote=169285]Fine, You can just read the content and type cast the output to XML and is the simplest method.

[xml]$XML = Get-Content -Path
#For your XML
$XML.ServiceResponse.data.Asset # will give asset detail.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
[/quote] I see, I didn't see those as attributes of the XMLDocument object, but that worked. However, when I pipe it to a text file, I get this 
id : 123456789
name : ComputerName
created : 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
modified : 2019-08-03T14:01:01Z
type : HOST
tags : tags
In other words, it's not actually providing me the list of what's in the "tags". I tried this to just view the tags, but received no output.
$XML.ServiceResponse.data.Asset.Tags.list.TagSimple
6

@Crusher2156

You can combine both tag together and make it more meaningfull
Example : 
[xml]$bandData = Get-Content -path xml.txt
foreach ($bands in $bandData.ServiceResponse.data.Asset) {
write-host "======================================"
write-host " Asset:$($bands.id) "
write-host "======================================"
foreach($band in $bands.tags.list.tagsimple){ 
write-host "======================================"
[pscustomobject]@{
ID=$bands.id
Name = $bands.Name
Created = $bands.Created
modified = $bands.modified
Type=$bands.type
SubID=$band.id
SubName=$band.name
}
write-host "======================================"
}
write-host "======================================"
}


OutPut:
E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml> E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml\readthexml.ps1
======================================
            Asset:123456789        
======================================
======================================

Name                           Value                                                                                                                                                   
----                           -----                                                                                                                                                   
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          12345678                                                                                                                                                
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        NameHere                                                                                                                                                
======================================
======================================
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          12345678                                                                                                                                                
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        NameHere                                                                                                                                                
======================================
======================================
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          12345678                                                                                                                                                
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        NameHere                                                                                                                                                
======================================
======================================
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          12345678                                                                                                                                                
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        OS - Windows 10                                                                                                                                         
======================================
======================================
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          12345678                                                                                                                                                
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        NameHere                                                                                                                                                
======================================
======================================
ID                             123456789                                                                                                                                               
Name                           ComputerName                                                                                                                                            
SubID                          1234567                                                                                                                                                 
modified                       2019-08-02T15:18:36Z                                                                                                                                    
Type                           HOST                                                                                                                                                    
Created                        2019-05-16T21:41:12Z                                                                                                                                    
SubName                        Cloud Agent                                                                                                                                             
======================================
======================================

 

7

[quote quote=169294]@Crusher2156

You can combine both tag together and make it more meaningfull
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Example :·
[xml]$bandData = Get-Content -path xml.txt
foreach ($bands in $bandData.ServiceResponse.data.Asset) {
write-host "======================================"
write-host " Asset:$($bands.id) "
write-host "======================================"
foreach($band in $bands.tags.list.tagsimple){
write-host "======================================"
[pscustomobject]@{
ID=$bands.id
Name = $bands.Name
Created = $bands.Created
modified = $bands.modified
Type=$bands.type
SubID=$band.id
SubName=$band.name
}
write-host "======================================"
}
write-host "======================================"
}
OutPut:
E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml> E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml\readthexml.ps1
======================================
Asset:123456789
======================================
======================================
Name Value
---- -----
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName OS - Windows 10
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 1234567
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName Cloud Agent
======================================
======================================
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
[/quote] [quote quote=169294]@Crusher2156
You can combine both tag together and make it more meaningfull
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Example :·
[xml]$bandData = Get-Content -path xml.txt
foreach ($bands in $bandData.ServiceResponse.data.Asset) {
write-host "======================================"
write-host " Asset:$($bands.id) "
write-host "======================================"
foreach($band in $bands.tags.list.tagsimple){
write-host "======================================"
[pscustomobject]@{
ID=$bands.id
Name = $bands.Name
Created = $bands.Created
modified = $bands.modified
Type=$bands.type
SubID=$band.id
SubName=$band.name
}
write-host "======================================"
}
write-host "======================================"
}
OutPut:
E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml> E:\github\PowerShell\Readthexml\readthexml.ps1
======================================
Asset:123456789
======================================
======================================
Name Value
---- -----
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName OS - Windows 10
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 12345678
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName NameHere
======================================
======================================
ID 123456789
Name ComputerName
SubID 1234567
modified 2019-08-02T15:18:36Z
Type HOST
Created 2019-05-16T21:41:12Z
SubName Cloud Agent
======================================
======================================
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
[/quote] That's a lot easier than I thought. I was able to modify it to do exactly what I needed. Thank you for the help!