ios - using NSXMLparser, how do you parse an xml file which has same name tags but in different elements? -

is possible give path expressions in nsxmlparser? have xml file has few same name tags, in different element. there way differentiate between them. here xml:

<schools>         <school>             <id>335823</id>              <name>fairfax high school</name>              <student>                 <id>4195653</id>                 <name>will turner</name>             </student>             <student>                 <id>4195654</id>                 <name>bruce paltrow</name>             </student>             <student>                 <id>4195655</id>                 <name>santosh gowswami</name>             </student>         </school>     <schools> 

i'd create separate school , student objects. parser have properties currentschool , currentstudent. whenever parser hits <student> tag, call

self.currentstudent = [[mystudentobject alloc] init]; 

whenever parser hits </student> tag, call

self.currentstudent = nil; 

then, when hit <name> tag, can check see if have currentstudent. if do, name name of student. if there no current student, name name of school.

if (self.currentstudent) {     self.currentstudent.name = /*string between <name> tags*/ } else {     self.currentschool.name = /*string between <name> tags*/ } 

sorry code pieces brief, don't have time type now. if more detail needed, can add more code later.

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update

the quickest way me go more detail show code i'm looking for, , put comments explaining code. if there questions on part of this, or if needs explained further, let me know elaborate on , i'll best.

studentxml.h

#import <foundation/foundation.h>  @interface studentxml : nsobject  @property (nonatomic, strong) nsstring *id;     // make sure matches element in xml!! @property (nonatomic, strong) nsstring *name;   // make sure matches element in xml!!  @end 

studentxml.m

#import "studentxml.h"  @implementation studentxml  @end 

schoolxml.h

#import <foundation/foundation.h> #import "studentxml.h"  @interface schoolxml : nsobject  @property (nonatomic, strong) nsstring *id;     // make sure matches element in xml!! @property (nonatomic, strong) nsstring *name;   // make sure matches element in xml!! @property (nonatomic, strong) nsmutablearray *studentsarray; // array of studentxml objects  @end 

schoolxml.m

#import "schoolxml.h"  @implementation schoolxml  // need overwrite init method array created when new schoolxml object created - (schoolxml *) init; {     if (self = [super init])     {         self.studentsarray = [[nsmutablearray alloc] init];          return self;     }     else     {         nslog(@"error - schoolxml object not initialized in init on schoolxml.m");         return nil;     } }  @end 

schoolsparser.h

#import <foundation/foundation.h> #import "schoolxml.h" #import "studentxml.h"  @interface schoolsparser : nsobject {     nsmutablestring *currentelementvalue;   // hold string between tags until decide put }  @property (nonatomic, strong) schoolxml *currentschool;     // hold school in process of being filled @property (nonatomic, strong) studentxml *currentstudent;   // hold student in process of being filled @property (nonatomic, strong) nsmutablearray *allschools;   // final list of data in xml file  - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser didstartelement:(nsstring *)elementname namespaceuri:(nsstring *)namespaceuri qualifiedname:(nsstring *)qualifiedname attributes:(nsdictionary *)attributedict; - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser foundcharacters:(nsstring *)string; - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser didendelement:(nsstring *)elementname namespaceuri:(nsstring *)namespaceuri qualifiedname:(nsstring *)qname;  @end 

schoolsparser.m

#import "schoolsparser.h"  @implementation schoolsparser  - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser didstartelement:(nsstring *)elementname namespaceuri:(nsstring *)namespaceuri qualifiedname:(nsstring *)qualifiedname attributes:(nsdictionary *)attributedict // method hit each time parser sees opening tag // elementname string between <> (example "school") {     if ([elementname isequaltostring:@"school"])     {         self.currentschool = [[schoolxml alloc] init];     }     else if ([elementname isequaltostring:@"student"])     {         self.currentstudent = [[studentxml alloc] init];     } }  - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser foundcharacters:(nsstring *)string // method hit each time parser sees string between tags // string value between open , close tag (example "fairfax high school") // take string , hold onto until can decide should put {     currentelementvalue = [[nsmutablestring alloc] initwithstring:string]; }  - (void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser didendelement:(nsstring *)elementname namespaceuri:(nsstring *)namespaceuri qualifiedname:(nsstring *)qname // method hit each time parser sees closing tag // elementname string between </> (example "school") // method decide want put currentelementvalue string {     if ([elementname isequaltostring:@"student"])     {         // put current student studentsarray of currentschool         [self.currentschool.studentsarray addobject:self.currentstudent];          // we've finished building student , have put school wanted, clear out currentstudent can reuse next time         self.currentstudent = nil;     }     else if ([elementname isequaltostring:@"school"])     {         // put current school allschoolsarray send our view controller         [self.allschools addobject:self.currentschool];          // we've finished building school , have put return array, clear out currentschool can reuse next time         self.currentschool = nil;     }     else if ([elementname isequaltostring:@"schools"])     {         // reached end of xml document         return;     }     else     // either name or id, want put correct currentsomething building     {         if (self.currentstudent)         // there currentstudent, name or id found of student         {             // since properties of our currentstudent object match elementnames in our xml, parser can automatically fills values in need without doing more             // example, take "will turner" in <name> tags in xml , put .name property of our student             [self.currentstudent setvalue:currentelementvalue forkey:elementname];         }         else         // there no student, name or id found of school         {             // since properties of our currentstudent object match elementnames in our xml, parser can automatically fills values in need without doing more             // example, take "fairfax high school" in <name> tags in xml , put .name property of our school             [self.currentschool setvalue:currentelementvalue forkey:elementname];         }     }      // we've put string in currentelementvalue wanted it, clear out currentelementvalue can reuse next time     currentelementvalue = nil; }  -(void)parser:(nsxmlparser *)parser parseerroroccurred:(nserror *)parseerror {     nslog(@"error in schoolsparser.m");     nslog(@"%@",parseerror.description); }  @end 

uiviewcontroller.m want start parsing (make sure #include schoolxml, studentxml, , schoolsparser):

- (void) startschoolparser {     nsxmlparser *nsxmlparser = [[nsxmlparser alloc] initwithdata:responsedata]; // "responsedata" nsdata object holds xml     schoolsparser *parser = [[schoolsparser alloc] init];     [nsxmlparser setdelegate:parser];     if ([nsxmlparser parse])     {         // parsing successful         nsarray *allschools = parser.allschools;         // can loop through allschools , use data how ever want          // example, code nslog's data         (schoolxml *school in allschools)         {             nslog(@"school name = %@",school.name);             nslog(@"school id = %@",school.id);             (studentxml *student in school.studentsarray)             {                 nslog(@"student name = %@",student.name);                 nslog(@"student id = %@",student.id);             }         }     }     else     {         nslog(@"parsing failed");     } }