Handling XML namespaces in powershell

Question

I'm trying to generate an XML-File that looks like this:

<ns5:attributionRequest xmlns:ns2="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0011/3" xmlns="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0007/3" xmlns:ns4="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0010/3" xmlns:ns3="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0008/2" xmlns:ns5="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1" xmlns:ns6="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0044/1" xmlns:ns7="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0090/1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ns8="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0006/2" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1 http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1/eCH-0083-1-1.xsd">
  <ns5:header>
    <ns5:senderId xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xsi:type="xs:string">PKsample</ns5:senderId>
  </ns5:header>
  <ns5:record>
    <ns5:localPersonId>
      <ns6:personIdCategory>gentle people</ns6:personIdCategory>
      <ns6:personId>10001</ns6:personId>
    </ns5:localPersonId>
    <ns5:lastname>Froidevaux</ns5:lastname>
    <ns5:firstNames>Jean</ns5:firstNames>
    <ns5:birthDate>
      <ns6:yearMonthDay>1945-08-13</ns6:yearMonthDay>
    </ns5:birthDate>
    <ns5:sex>1</ns5:sex>
    <ns5:nationality>
      <ns5:nationalityStatus>0</ns5:nationalityStatus>
    </ns5:nationality>
  </ns5:record>
</ns5:attributionRequest>

However, I'm having some difficulties with the namespaces. How can I define and use the namespaces ns5, ns6 and so on.

Here's what I have so far:

#------------------------------------------------------------#
# Function CreateRequest > Creates xml file for data request #
#------------------------------------------------------------#
Function CreateRequest()
{
    $XMLFilePath = "H:\Stuff\Dateien\Scripts\XML\GetSozVersID\Test\NewRequest.xml"

    #---Create empty XML File
    New-Item $XMLFilePath -Type File -Force | Out-Null

    #---Creating Base Structure
    $XMLFile = New-Object XML

    [System.XML.XMLDeclaration]$XMLDeclaration = $XMLFile.CreateXMLDeclaration("1.0", "UTF-8", $null)

    $XMLFile.AppendChild($XMLDeclaration) | Out-Null

    #---RootObject
    $newAR = $XMLFile.CreateElement("attributionRequest"); 

    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns2", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0011/3")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0007/3")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns4", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0010/3")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns3", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0008/2")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns5", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns6", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0044/1")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns7", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0090/1")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:xsi", "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xmlns:ns8", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0006/2")
    $newAR.SetAttribute("xsi:schemaLocation", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1 http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1/eCH-0083-1-1.xsd")

    $XMLFile.AppendChild($newAR)
    #---

    #---Header
    $Header = $XMLFile.CreateElement("header") 

    $SenderID = $XMLFile.CreateElement("senderId")

    $SenderID.SetAttribute("xmlns:xs", "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema")
    $SenderID.SetAttribute("xsi:type", "xs:string")

    $SenderID.InnerText = "PKsample"

    $Header.AppendChild($SenderID)

    $newAR.AppendChild($Header)
    #---

    #---Record
    $Record = $XMLFile.CreateElement("record")

    $newAR.AppendChild($Record)
    #---

    #---LocalPersonID
    $LocPersID = $XMLFile.CreateElement("localPersonId")

    $PersIDCat = $XMLFile.CreateElement("personIdCategory")
    $PersID    = $XMLFile.CreateElement("personId")

    $PersIDCat.InnerText = "gentle people"
    $PersID.InnerText    = "10001"

    $LocPersID.AppendChild($PersIDCat)
    $LocPersID.AppendChild($PersID)

    $Record.AppendChild($LocPersID)
    #---

    #---CurrentValues
    $CurrVal = $XMLFile.CreateElement("currentValues")

    $LName   = $XMLFile.CreateElement("lastname")
    $FName   = $XMLFile.CreateElement("firstNames")
    $Gender  = $XMLFile.CreateElement("sex")
    $DOB     = $XMLFile.CreateElement("birthDate")
    $YMD     = $XMLFile.CreateElement("yearMonthDay")
    $Gender  = $XMLFile.CreateElement("sex")
    $Nat     = $XMLFile.CreateElement("nationality")
    $NatStat = $XMLFile.CreateElement("nationalityStatus")

    $LName.InnerText   = "Froidevaux"
    $FName.InnerText   = "Jean"
    $Gender.InnerText  = "1"
    $YMD.InnerText     = "1945-08-13"
    $NatStat.InnerText = "0"

    $Record.AppendChild($LName)
    $Record.AppendChild($FName)
    $Record.AppendChild($DOB)
    $Record.AppendChild($Gender)

    $DOB.AppendChild($YMD)

    $Record.AppendChild($Nat)

    $Nat.AppendChild($NatStat)
    #---

    $XMLFile.Save($XMLFilePath);
}

Which generates an XML-File like this:

<attributionRequest xmlns:ns2="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0011/3" xmlns="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0007/3" xmlns:ns4="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0010/3" xmlns:ns3="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0008/2" xmlns:ns5="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1" xmlns:ns6="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0044/1" xmlns:ns7="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0090/1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ns8="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0006/2" schemaLocation="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1 http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1/eCH-0083-1-1.xsd">
  <header>
    <senderId xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" type="xs:string">PKsample</senderId>
  </header>
  <record>
    <localPersonId>
      <personIdCategory>gentle people</personIdCategory>
      <personId>10001</personId>
    </localPersonId>
    <lastname>Froidevaux</lastname>
    <firstNames>Jean</firstNames>
    <birthDate>
      <yearMonthDay>1945-08-13</yearMonthDay>
    </birthDate>
    <sex>1</sex>
    <nationality>
      <nationalityStatus>0</nationalityStatus>
    </nationality>
  </record>
</attributionRequest>

It also ignores the namespace xsi: when defining the attribute xsi:type for the node "senderId" in the header.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Best regards

marius

Answer 1

If you want to create elements with a particular namespace and prefix, you should use the version of CreateNamespace that takes a prefix and namespace URI:

$newAR = $XMLFile.CreateElement("ns5", "attributionRequest", "http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1"); 

If you do that, you should get the expected output.

Answer 2

I've not explored working with XML side of Powershell yet. But, If it is only to generate an XML like you have given in example, i would propose a different approach, which will provide more flexibility.

You can create a csv file which will serve as the input for XML generating script, like:

Then the script will be

## Formatting The XML

$scriptblock = {
@"
<ns5:attributionRequest xmlns:ns2="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0011/3" xmlns="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0007/3" xmlns:ns4="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0010/3" xmlns:ns3="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0008/2" xmlns:ns5="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1" xmlns:ns6="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0044/1" xmlns:ns7="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0090/1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ns8="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0006/2" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1 http://www.ech.ch/xmlns/eCH-0083/1/eCH-0083-1-1.xsd">
  <ns5:header>
    <ns5:senderId xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xsi:type="xs:string">$($_.type)</ns5:senderId>
  </ns5:header>
  <ns5:record>
    <ns5:localPersonId>
      <ns6:personIdCategory>$($_.personIdCategory)</ns6:personIdCategory>
      <ns6:personId>$($_.personId)</ns6:personId>
    </ns5:localPersonId>
    <ns5:lastname>$($_.lastname)</ns5:lastname>
    <ns5:firstNames>$($_.firstNames)</ns5:firstNames>
    <ns5:birthDate>
      <ns6:yearMonthDay>$($_.yearMonthDay)</ns6:yearMonthDay>
    </ns5:birthDate>
    <ns5:sex>$($_.sex)</ns5:sex>
    <ns5:nationality>
      <ns5:nationalityStatus>$($_.nationalityStatus)</ns5:nationalityStatus>
    </ns5:nationality>
  </ns5:record>
</ns5:attributionRequest>
"@
}

## Creating New XMLs

Import-csv .\file.csv | ForEach-Object{ 
 $personId = $_.personId
 & $scriptblock | out-file ".\$personId.xml"}

Put the csv and the script in same folder. This will generate XMLs with PersionId id,e.g., 10001.xml, 20001.xml in the same folder.

This way you can create N number of XMLs without actually editing the script. Just keep adding the values in the CSV file.