# XML Surgeon

> Targeted XML read/write edits with XPath, minimal formatting changes, and batch operations across many files. Use for any XML work where precise, surgical reads and changes are needed, including subtree inspection, child-node scanning, attribute/text updates, insert/replace/delete of nodes, and multi-file refactors. Prefer this skill over generic read/edit tools whenever working with XML files.

- Skill: `majiayu000/xml-surgeon-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add majiayu000/xml-surgeon-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/xml-surgeon-2/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/xml-surgeon-2

---


# Xml Surgeon

## Overview
Use `scripts/main.py` for XPath-based XML reads/edits with minimal formatting drift. Prefer dry-run + diff, then in-place write.

## Quick start
- Inspect matches:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py select --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" path/to/file.xml`
- Read text or attr:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py get --xpath "//field[@name='name']" path/to/file.xml`
  - `uv run scripts/main.py get --xpath "//record" --attr id path/to/file.xml`
- Show subtree or inner XML:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py show --xpath "//record[@id='view_form']" path/to/file.xml`
  - `uv run scripts/main.py show --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --inner --max-chars 2000 path/to/file.xml`
- Scan child nodes:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py children --xpath "//group" path/to/file.xml`
  - `uv run scripts/main.py children --xpath "//group" --list --attrs path/to/file.xml`
- Outline structure:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py outline --xpath "//record[@model='ir.ui.view']" --depth 3 path/to/file.xml`
  - `uv run scripts/main.py outline --xpath "//record[@id='view_form']" --attr id --attr name path/to/file.xml`
- Context around matches:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py context --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --before 2 --after 6 path/to/file.xml`
- Set attribute (dry-run + diff):
  - `uv run scripts/main.py set-attr --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --name string --value my_label --diff path/to/file.xml`
  - add `--in-place` to write
- Set text from file:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py set-text --xpath "//field[@name='arch']" --value-file snippet.xml --diff path/to/file.xml`
- Insert XML fragment:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py insert --xpath "//group" --position inside-last --xml "<field name='x'/>" --diff --reformat-ok path/to/file.xml`
- Delete nodes:
  - `uv run scripts/main.py delete --xpath "//field[@name='x']" --diff --reformat-ok path/to/file.xml`

## Workflow
- Inspect: `select` for match counts and sourcelines.
- Read: `show`, `children`, `outline`, or `context` for subtree/structure scanning.
- Dry-run: run mutating commands with `--diff` (no `--in-place`).
- Apply: add `--in-place` after diff looks tight.
- Verify: spot-check with `select` or `get`.

## Tasks
- Inspect/select: use `select`, `get`, `show`, `children`, `outline`, and `context` for precise targeting.
- Attribute edits: `set-attr`, `del-attr`.
- Text edits: `set-text` with `--value` or `--value-file`.
- Structural edits: `insert`, `replace`, `delete` with XPath.
- Batch edits: pass multiple paths or globs (e.g., `**/*.xml`).

## Guardrails
- Minimal diffs: `set-attr`, `del-attr`, and `set-text` are surgical and preserve formatting.
- Structural edits: `insert`, `replace`, `delete` reserialize XML and can reformat; require `--reformat-ok`.
- Large files: use `--huge` if parser complains.
- Namespaces: pass `--ns prefix=uri` and use `prefix:tag` in XPath.
- Indentation drift: use `--indent` on insert/replace if needed.

## Resources
- `scripts/main.py`: main XML edit tool (uv script)
- `scripts/lib.py`: helper module used by the CLI
- `references/xml-editing.md`: XPath tips, minimal-diff notes, large-file hints