Perl XML::LibXML - Cannot replace Replace Element value

Question

The XML file looks like this

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<application name="pos">
  <artifact id="example.war" type="war" cycle="ReleaseX-Sprint1">
    <jira>tick-1,tick-2,</jira>
    <jenkins>http://localhost:0000/hudson</jenkins>
    <kportal/>
    <scm>
      <transaction id="111" user="user1">
        <file name="a/b/c/d.txt"/>
        <file name="x/y/z.xml"/>
      </transaction>
    </scm>
  </artifact>
</application>

I want to add a value to the kportal node for a particular artifact node so that it looks like <kportal>KPORTAL-1</kportal>

My code looks like this

my $manifestDoc = $manifestFileParser->parse_file($manifestFile);
my $xpathKportal  = qq(//application[\@name="$applicationName"]/artifact[\@id="$artifactID"]/kportal);
my $newdeploymentNode = $manifestDoc->findnodes($xpathKportal);
$newdeploymentNode->removeChildNodes();
$newdeploymentNode->appendText('KPORTAL-1');

I am getting the error

Can't locate object method "removeChildNodes" via package "XML::LibXML::NodeList"

Answer 1

XML::LibXML::Node::findnodes returns a NodeList object in scalar context, but a list of nodes in list context. The NodeList does not have a removeChildNodes method. Suggested solution: Use a list on the left side of = to force list context.

my ($new_deployment_node) = $manifest_doc->findnodes(...);

Answer 2

There are two possbile errors:

You have a typo: $newdeploymentNode ->removeChildNodes();

and maybe your are not using the latest version from XML::LibXML and in this version this method call is not supported.