Recompile XML after using the XML parse tool

Question

Hello,

I am trying to edit the xml of another workflow to mass update some tools but I need to parse out the xml then re compile it exactly how it was for the file integrity to stay intact and avoid missing xml characters or the  xml wont run as a workflow.

I tried some macros and exporting as a flat file but both miss characters the xml needs to run and it fails...is there a way to do this in alteryx or use normal tools to recompile without missing any characters for the xml to run as a workflow?

Here Im just trying to update the select records tools and ranges  en masse then put them back into the xml and export it.

Unfortunately I cant attach the workflow

Thanks

xml compiler.png

Carlos_Tovar · Answer

Yup I tried to bring it in as a flat file and it did not work it stripped alot of the necessary characters, I found a simple solution in Python thanks.

apathetichell · Answer

You don't want to do this in the XML tool - you want to edit it as a text file and then save it.

the XML tool is designed to take in semi-structured XML and then change it into a structured traditional database row/field/value grid. Once structured there is no out of the box Alteryx tool to rebuild your XML into a semi-structured XML appropriate output. This is true not just for Alteryx workflows XML - but all XML.

There is no "simple" about it - and this is true for XML and JSON and true outside of Alteryx. rebuilding semi-structured is always more complicated than taking it apart.

Carlos_Tovar · Answer

Thats not really a good solution for what im trying to do and it doesnt work in several instances...So alteryx doesn't have a method to simply reverse what the xml parse tool did ?