Sorted Attributes in XML.jl?

General Usage
1

Hello!

I saw the newly released XML.jl and I am really excited about it.

I wonder if it is possible to “enforce” attribute ordering? I have a case in which I want to produce and XML which is meant to be both human readable and machine input. Suppose I have an XML tag:

<point x=0 y=0 z=0/>

This nice because x y and z are ordered - the machine who reads it does not care about the order of course, but the human user who has to edit it, does. Currenly in XML.jl:

using XML
  XML.Element("point",x=0,y=0,z=0)
  Node Element <point x="0" z="0" y="0">

Which is not ordered, which makes the human user sad.

Is there any way to make it so that the order of input arguments into XML.Element is respected?

I do not care about performance, I much higher value the ordering of inputs, so even subpar performance (but generic) solutions I would appreciate at this stage :slight_smile:

Kind regards

2

The backing type for the attributes is a Dict which is inherently unordered. XML.jl/XML.jl at main · JuliaComputing/XML.jl · GitHub
Maybe the author would consider using OrderedCollections.OrderedDict instead?

3

Would it be possible for me to overload/extend it in some smart way so that I can use OrderedDicts?

4

No, it’s not a type parameter. Maybe if you made your own node type and if dispatches are written generically enough

5

GitHub - andyferris/Dictionaries.jl: An alternative interface for dictionaries in Julia, for improved productivity and performance is a good ordered dictionary interface that could be proposed if you raise this issue with the author.

6

issue about preserving attribute order posted

7

Thank you @jules for explaining

Thank you @jar1 for mentioning this library, I was only aware of OrderedDicts

Thank you @JeffreySarnoff for posting it on Github

Kind regards

8

FYI XML.jl v0.3.0 is now available in General, which uses OrderedDict as the internal representation of attributes and maintains attribute order.

9

Thank you so much!

I upgraded the package and it just worked out of the box