xenial (1) xmlif.1.gz

NAME

       xmlif - conditional processing instructions for XML

SYNOPSIS

       xmlif [attrib=value...]

DESCRIPTION

       xmlif filters XML according to conditionalizing markup. This can be useful for formatting one of several
       versions of an XML document depending on conditions passed to the command.

       Attribute/value pairs from the command line are matched against the attributes associated with certain
       processing instructions in the document. The instructions are <?xmlif if?> and its inverse <?xmlif if
       not?>, <?xmlif elif?> and its inverse <?xmlif elif not?>, <?xmlif else?>, and <?xmlif fi?>.

       Argument/value pairs given on the command line are checked against the value of corresponding attributes
       in the conditional processing instructions. An `attribute match' happens if an attribute occurs in both
       the command-line arguments and the tag, and the values match. An `attribute mismatch' happens if an
       attribute occurs in both the command-line arguments and the tag, but the values do not match.

       Spans between <?xmlif if?> or <?xmlif elif?> and the next conditional processing instruction at the same
       nesting level are passed through unaltered if there is at least one attribute match and no attribute
       mismatch; spans between <?xmlif if not?> and <?xmlif elif not?> and the next conditional processing
       instruction are passed otherwise. Spans between <?xmlif else?> and the next conditional-processing tag
       are passed through only if no previous span at the same level has been passed through.  <?xmlif if?> and
       <?xmlif fi?> (and their `not' variants) change the current nesting level; <?xmlif else?> and <?xmlif
       elif?> do not.

       All these processing instructions will be removed from the output produced. Aside from the
       conditionalization, all other input is passed through untouched; in particular, entity references are not
       resolved.

       Value matching is by string equality, except that "|" in an attribute value is interpreted as an
       alternation character. Thus, saying foo='red|blue' on the command line enables conditions red and blue.
       Saying color='black|white' in a tag matches command-line conditions color='black' and color='white'.

       Here is an example:

           Always issue this text.
           <?xmlif if condition='html'?>
           Issue this text if 'condition=html' is given on the command line.
           <?xmlif elif condition='pdf|ps'?>
           Issue this text if 'condition=pdf' or 'condition=ps'
           is given on the command line.
           <?xmlif else?>
           Otherwise issue this text.
           <?xmlif fi?>
           Always issue this text.

AUTHOR

       Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>
           Author of xmlif program