WG: AW: Extract text from XML, pay attention to XML Entities - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Färber, Franz-Josef (StMUK)
Subject WG: AW: Extract text from XML, pay attention to XML Entities
Date
Msg-id 9bc204234fb842eda58d36e7e45a0280@stmuk.bayern.de
Whole thread
List pgsql-hackers
Dear Mailing List,

this is a re-post of https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/615fa488caa2422393498300d476dcc0%40stmuk.bayern.de .

Thanks to Adrian Klaver, who pointed out here that this question could be right on this mailing list.


To sum up the discussion,
* The xml2 extension contains the function xml_string, which allows to extract text nodes, thereby un-escaping XML, i.
e." foo < bar" becomes "foo < bar".
 
* (But the xml2 xml_string function won't deal with namespaces as far as I understand.)
* This functionality is missing in the newer API (see the first link for more elaboration on that).
* And as https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/xml2.html states, " please explain your issue to
<pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org>so that the deficiency can be addressed".
 

Any suggestions or any plans to add similar functionality to the newer API?
Thank You.


Regards,
Franz-Josef Färber


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@aklaver.com> 
Gesendet: Dienstag, 29. September 2026 17:49
An: Färber, Franz-Josef (StMUK) <Franz-Josef.Faerber@stmuk.bayern.de>; David G. Johnston <david.g.johnston@gmail.com>
Cc: pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org
Betreff: Re: AW: Extract text from XML, pay attention to XML Entities

On 9/29/26 6:12 AM, Färber, Franz-Josef (StMUK) wrote:
> Hello David,
> 
> Thanks for your reply.
> 
> It’s just strange and unfortunate that
> 
> a) Postgres does not offer a simple solution

I think you are left with from here:

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/xml2.html

"If you find that some of the functionality of this module is not available in an adequate form with the newer API,
pleaseexplain your issue to <pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org> so that the deficiency can be addressed."
 


> 
> b) Postgres had indeed offered a simple solution, xml_string, in the
> xml2 extension, which is deprecated (and won't deal with namespaces).
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Franz-Josef Färber
--
Adrian Klaver
adrian.klaver@aklaver.com

pgsql-hackers by date:

Previous
From: Ajit Awekar
Date:
Subject: Re: Allow table AMs to define their own reloptions
Next
From: Nazir Bilal Yavuz
Date:
Subject: Re: aio: Async fsyncs for crash recovery and checkpointer