How do we use an XML file?

Nov 1 2015 | Vanity

[Pikachu_Dad]

How do we use the XML file that the Secretary of State office provides? http://sos.la.gov10/24/2015 Election Results - Parish Results <table border="2"><tr style="font-weight: bold;"><td align="center">Parish</td> <td colspan="2" align="center">Scott A. Angelle (R)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">Beryl Billiot (N)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">"Jay" Dardenne (R)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">Cary Deaton (D)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">John Bel Edwards (D)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">Jeremy "JW" Odom (N)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">Eric Paul Orgeron (O)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">S L Simpson (D)</td><td colspan="2" align="center">David Vitter (R)</td><td align="center">Total Votes Cast</td><td align="center">Precincts Reporting</td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Acadia</td><td align="right"> 5884</td><td align="right">34%</td><td align="right"> 67</td><td align="right">0%</td><td align="right"> 2176</td><td align="right">13%</td><td align="right"> 115</td><td align="right">1%</td><td align="right"> 5220</td><td align="right">30%</td><td align="right"> 78</td><td align="right">0%</td><td align="right"> 35</td><td align="right">0%</td><td align="right"> 78</td><td align="right">0%</td><td align="right"> 3729</td><td align="right">21%</td>&‪#‎x0D‬; <td align="right"> 17382</td><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">55 of 55 precincts reporting</td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Allen</td><td align="right"> 1463</td><td align="right">25%</td><td align="right"> 35</td><td align="right">1%</td><td align="right"> 958</td><td align="right">17%</td><td align="right"> 63</td><td align="right">1%</td><td align="right"> 1977</td><td align="right">34%</td><td align="right"> 29</td><td align="right">1%</td><td align="right"> 12</td><td align="right">0%</td><td align="right"> 41</td><td align="right">1%</td><td align="right"> 1212</td><td align="right">21%</td>&#x0D; <td align="right"> 5790</td><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">29 of 29 precincts reporting</td></tr><tr><td etc. etc. etc.

[Pikachu_Dad]

So if I go to the Louisiana Secretary of State website. and pull up the recent election results. ... https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical

I have an option to get RSS results or CSV results.

Now I can use the CSV results, but I was trying to figure out how to use the RSS results.

If I click on that option, I get an XML file downloaded to my computer.

However, I cannot find an easy way to open and view that file in an appropriate format.

It seems that I have to build some sort of HTML file to interpret the results.

What am I missing?

[Steely Tom]

Parish Results

Parish	Scott A. Angelle (R)		Beryl Billiot (N)		"Jay" Dardenne (R)		Cary Deaton (D)		John Bel Edwards (D)		Jeremy "JW" Odom (N)		Eric Paul Orgeron (O)		S L Simpson (D)		David Vitter (R)		Total Votes Cast	Precincts Reporting
Acadia	5884	34%	67	0%	2176	13%	115	1%	5220	30%	78	0%	35	0%	78	0%	3729	21%	&‪#‎x0D‬;	17382	55 of 55 precincts reporting
Allen	1463	25%	35	1%	958	17%	63	1%	1977	34%	29	1%	12	0%	41	1%	1212	21%	5790	29 of 29 precincts reporting

[Steely Tom]

The part that you provided seems to have worked pretty well.

[sparklite2]

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fileextensions/f/xmlfile.htm

[Steely Tom]

I’m not sure what it means, but it does seem to format to something.

[sparklite2]

It looks like you could just copy it and paste as HTML source in an HTML editor. SeaMonkey browser from Mozilla comes equipped with an HTML editor and is very useful.

[Vermont Lt]

Drop it into excel. Or better yet, open the CRV file in excel.

[Pikachu_Dad]

Okay, so HOW did you do that?

[Steely Tom]

I just took the XML in your message (by copying it, which is done by highlighting the lines in question with the mouse and then hitting ctrl+C to copy them into the clipboard) and pasted it into a "Posting Comment" window (which is done by clicking on the window and hitting ctrl+V).

The only thing I did that's in the least bit subtle is that I edited out the open tag at the end of your posted string, the "

[Steely Tom]

Sorry, the “open tag” is the final opening angle bracket followed by the letters “td” .

It seems that the “Body of Thread” box (in the FR “Posting new thread” screen) is not quite as tolerant of HTML as the “HTML okay” label on it would seem to indicate.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Put the entire contents into an html text reader like...an FR reply box.

Here you go;

How do we use the XML file that the Secretary of State office provides? http://sos.la.gov10/24/2015 Election Results - Parish Results

Parish	Scott A. Angelle (R)		Beryl Billiot (N)		"Jay" Dardenne (R)		Cary Deaton (D)		John Bel Edwards (D)		Jeremy "JW" Odom (N)		Eric Paul Orgeron (O)		S L Simpson (D)		David Vitter (R)		Total Votes Cast	Precincts Reporting
Acadia	5884	34%	67	0%	2176	13%	115	1%	5220	30%	78	0%	35	0%	78	0%	3729	21%	&‪#‎x0D‬;	17382	55 of 55 precincts reporting
Allen	1463	25%	35	1%	958	17%	63	1%	1977	34%	29	1%	12	0%	41	1%	1212	21%	5790	29 of 29 precincts reporting

[Pikachu_Dad]

Interesting.

A FR reply box has a size limit. :(

[Pikachu_Dad]

413 Request Entity Too Large nginx/1.2.4

[BBell]

It’s Aliens.

[FlyingEagle]

Are you logged on?

[Dalberg-Acton]

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Import it into Excel or MSAccess and see if you have something better to work with.

If the format isn’t too complicated you can get some tables from it.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I do not have either excel or access. I have OpenOffice

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

What OS are you using?

What is the URL for the Document? I work with that stuff all the time.

If Open Office doesn’t have an XML import facility then you have some other options.

Download some free tool that can present it in a usable fashion.

Display it in your browser then copy / paste from your browser into some row/column oriented spreadsheet.

Bring it in as it is and do search / replace but that could get ugly.

XML Documents can get pretty darn complicated without the proper tools to parse it.

[Delta 21]

Those pesky Italians again?