anntnzrb Xml Surgeon
Use scripts/cli.py for XPath-based XML reads/edits with minimal formatting drift; prefer dry-run + diff, then in-place write.
Entry point
Cross-platform:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py ...
Set <skill-dir> to this skill directory; do not rely on shell sourcing, executable bits, or shebang dispatch.
Quick start
- Inspect matches:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py select --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" path/to/file.xml - Read text or attr:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py get --xpath "//field[@name='name']" path/to/file.xml;uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py get --xpath "//record" --attr id path/to/file.xml - Show subtree or inner XML:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py show --xpath "//record[@id='view_form']" path/to/file.xml;uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py show --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --inner --max-chars 2000 path/to/file.xml - Scan child nodes:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py children --xpath "//group" path/to/file.xml;uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py children --xpath "//group" --list --attrs path/to/file.xml - Outline structure:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py outline --xpath "//record[@model='ir.ui.view']" --depth 3 path/to/file.xml;uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py outline --xpath "//record[@id='view_form']" --attr id --attr name path/to/file.xml - Context around matches:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py context --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --before 2 --after 6 path/to/file.xml - Set attribute (dry-run + diff):
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py set-attr --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --name string --value my_label --diff path/to/file.xml; add--in-placeto write. - Set text from file:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py set-text --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --value-file snippet.xml --diff path/to/file.xml - Insert XML fragment:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py insert --xpath "//group" --position inside-last --xml "<field name='x'/>" --diff --reformat-ok path/to/file.xml - Delete nodes:
uv run --script <skill-dir>/scripts/cli.py delete --xpath "//field[@name='x']" --diff --reformat-ok path/to/file.xml
Workflow
- Inspect:
selectfor match counts and sourcelines. - Read:
show,children,outline, orcontextfor subtree/structure scanning. - Dry-run: run mutating commands with
--diffwithout--in-place. - Apply: add
--in-placeafter diff looks tight. - Verify: spot-check with
selectorget.
Tasks
- Inspect/select:
select,get,show,children,outline, andcontextfor precise targeting. - Attribute edits:
set-attr,del-attr. - Text edits:
set-textwith--valueor--value-file. - Structural edits:
insert,replace,deletewith XPath. - Batch edits: pass multiple paths or globs (for example,
**/*.xml).
Guardrails
- Minimal diffs:
set-attr,del-attr, andset-textare surgical and preserve formatting. - Structural edits:
insert,replace,deletereserialize XML and can reformat; require--reformat-ok. - Large files: use
--hugeif parser complains. - Namespaces: pass
--ns prefix=uriand useprefix:tagin XPath. - Indentation drift: use
--indenton insert/replace if needed.
Required follow-up reads
| Need | Read | When |
|---|---|---|
| XPath/minimal-diff guidance | references/xml-surgeon.md |
Complex selectors or formatting risk |
| Internal command behavior | scripts/main.py, scripts/lib.py |
Debugging the public CLI |