= Go Encoding Xml =

The '''`encoding/xml`''' package is used for parsing XML-formatted data into a struct.

<<TableOfContents>>

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== Example ==

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== Struct Tags ==

`Unmarshal` maps an XML element to a struct using the tags of struct fields and the following hierarchy of rules:

 1. If the struct has tag `",innerxml"` and type `[]byte` or `string`, `Unmarshal` accumulates the raw XML nested inside that element in that field. The rest of the rules still apply.
 2. If the struct has a field named `XMLName` of type `xml.Name`, `Unmarshal` stores that element's name in that field.
 3. If the `XMLName` field has an associated tag of the form `"name"` or `"namespace-URL name"`, that element must have the given name (and name space) or `Unmarshal` will return an error.
 4. If an attribute matches a field with an associated tag containing ",attr", `Unmarshal` maps that attribute to that field.
 5. If an attribute did not match the previous rule ''and'' there is a field with tag `",any,attr"`, `Unmarshal` maps that attribute to the first such field.
 6. Character data accumulates in the first field that has tag `",chardata"` and type `[]byte` or `string`.
   * If there is no such field, character data is discarded.
 7. Comments accumulate in the first field that has tag `",comment"` and type `[]byte` or `string`.
   * If there is no such field, comments are discarded.
 8. If a sub-element matches the ''prefix'' of a tag formatted as "a" or "a>b>c", `Unmarshal` descends into the XML structure looking for sub-elements with the given names, and will map the innermost elements to that field.
   * `">a"` is equivalent to `"a"`
 9. If a sub-element matches a field's `XMLName` tag ''and'' the field has no explicit name tag, `Unmarshal` maps that sub-element to struct field.
 10. If a sub-element matches a field without any mode flags (`",attr"`, `",chardata"`, etc), `Unmarshal` maps that sub-element to that field.
 11. If a sub-element hasn't matched any of the above rules ''and'' there is a field with tag `",any"`, `Unmarshal` maps that sub-element to that field.
 12. An anonymous field is handled as if the fields of its value were part of the outer struct.
 13. A field with tag `"-"` is never used.



=== Element Fields ===

Names for fields can be set by any of:

 * matching the name of the struct field to the XML element name
 * using an XML tag like `xml:"name"`
 * using a `XMLName` field of type `xml.Name` with the above pattern

As an example:

{{{
type Html struct {
  head    Head
  Body    Body     `xml:"body"`
  XMLName xml.Name `xml:"html"`
}
}}}

Note that this is ''purely'' a demonstration; fields need to be public, so `head` should be capitalized.



=== Attribute fields ===

Names for attributes can be set by any of:
 
 * matching the name of the struct field to the attribu8te name with the `",attr"` tag
 * using an XML tag like `xml:"name,attr"`
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