Avoid output of 'temporary' variables

[Anonymous]

I'm working on

xidel --silent --output-format=cmd ^
        --extract "x86:=//a[contains(text(), 'x86')]" ^
        --extract "x64:=//a[contains(text(), 'x64')]" ^
        --extract "x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1)" ^
        --extract "x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text())" ^
        --extract "x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1)" ^
        --extract "x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())" ^
    "%fil%"'

which works so far ....

How can I avoid output of 'temporary' variables x86 + x64 ?

thx for your attention & thx for your time

[Reino]

You could use --extract-exclude:

xidel -s "%fil%" --extract-exclude=x86,x64 ^
      -e "x86:=//a[contains(text(), 'x86')]" ^
      -e "x64:=//a[contains(text(), 'x64')]" ^
      -e "x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1)" ^
      -e "x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text())" ^
      -e "x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1)" ^
      -e "x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())" ^
      --output-format=cmd

There is however no need for so many extraction-queries. One is enough:

xidel -s "%fil%" -e "//a[contains(text(), 'x86')]/(x86.id:=extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())),//a[contains(text(), 'x64')]/(x64.id:=extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),x64.txt:=normalize-space(text()))" --output-format=cmd

xidel -s "%fil%" -e ^"^
  //a[contains(text(), 'x86')]/(^
    x86.id:=extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),^
    x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())^
  ),^
  //a[contains(text(), 'x64')]/(^
    x64.id:=extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),^
    x64.txt:=normalize-space(text())^
  )^
" --output-format=cmd

Or alternatively with let-variables:

xidel -s "%fil%" -e "let $x86:=//a[contains(text(), 'x86')],$x64:=//a[contains(text(), 'x64')] return (x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text()),x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text()))" --output-format=cmd

xidel -s "%fil%" -e ^"^
  let $x86:=//a[contains(text(), 'x86')],^
      $x64:=//a[contains(text(), 'x64')]^
  return (^
    x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),^
    x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text()),^
    x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick, '.\"(.*)\"', 1),^
    x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())^
  )^
" --output-format=cmd

As you didn't provide the input you're using, I couldn't test this.

[Anonymous]

thx Reino for your instant response on a sunday afternoon.
May I have another question ... ???
I try to use this in a FOR-loop - and I can't find a way to get
... extract(@onclick, '.\"(.)\"', 1), ... e.g. extract(@onclick, '.\^"(.)\^"', 1),
working because of (DOS) syntax errors.
Is there a way to let XIDEL read it's commands from a file ?

thx again

[Reino]

Could you share the input/source you're processing as well as the exact cmd command and the error-message?

[Anonymous]

The input is:
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5016676%20windows%207%20-embedded

The command is:

for /f "tokens=*" %%l in (
        'xidel --output-format=cmd ^
        --extract "x86:=//a[contains(text(), 'x86')]" ^
        --extract "x64:=//a[contains(text(), 'x64')]" ^
        --extract "x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick, '\"(.*)\"', 1)" ^
        --extract "x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text())" ^
        --extract "x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick, '\((.*)\)', 1)" ^
        --extract "x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())" ^
    "%fil%"') do %%l

[Reino]

Multiple things are going wrong here.

• The only way to correctly export xidel variables with --output-format=cmd in a for-loop is by using "delims=" instead of "tokens=*". See https://stackoverflow.com/a/61972422. https://sourceforge.net/p/xidel/discussion/help/thread/3797db1dc8/ could also be informative.
• Within a for-loop you shouldn't end a line with a ^.
• Escape-character-hell! It's not about escaping the \", it's about (.*) between the second pair of double-quotes.
  In a for-loop the following characters need to be escaped: % & < > ^ | , ; = " ( ). Except when they're between a single pair of double-quotes.
• And please put the input before the extraction-query.

SET "fil=https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5016676%20windows%207%20-embedded"

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('
  xidel -s "%fil%" --extract-exclude^=x86^,x64
  -e "x86:=//a[contains(text(),'x86')]"
  -e "x64:=//a[contains(text(),'x64')]"
  -e "x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick,'\"^(.*^)\"',1)"
  -e "x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text())"
  -e "x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick,'\"^(.*^)\"',1)"
  -e "x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())"
  --output-format^=cmd
') DO %%A

So --extract-exclude^=x86^,x64, --output-format^=cmd and ^(.*^) (between a second pair of double-quotes; -e "...\"(.*)\"...") needed to be escaped.

You can also use ", the XQuery notation for a double-quote. Then there's no second pair of double-quotes and thus no need to escape (.*):

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('
  xidel -s "%fil%" --extract-exclude^=x86^,x64
  -e "x86:=//a[contains(text(),'x86')]"
  -e "x64:=//a[contains(text(),'x64')]"
  -e "x86.id:=$x86/extract(@onclick,'"(.*)"',1)"
  -e "x86.txt:=$x86/normalize-space(text())"
  -e "x64.id:=$x64/extract(@onclick,'"(.*)"',1)"
  -e "x64.txt:=$x64/normalize-space(text())"
  --output-format^=cmd
') DO %%A

For the other command I posted, where the extraction-query is 'prettified' and thus covers multiple lines, all the above mentioned characters need to be escaped:

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('
  xidel -s "%fil%" -e ^"
    //a[contains^(text^(^)^,'x86'^)]/^(
      x86.id:^=extract^(@onclick^,'\^"^(.*^)\^"'^,1^)^,
      x86.txt:^=normalize-space^(text^(^)^)
    ^)^,
    //a[contains^(text^(^)^,'x64'^)]/^(
      x64.id:^=extract^(@onclick^,'\^"^(.*^)\^"'^,1^)^,
      x64.txt:^=normalize-space^(text^(^)^)
    ^)
  ^" --output-format^=cmd
') DO %%A

A minified command is a lot easier though:

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('xidel -s "%fil%" -e "//a[contains(text(),'x86')]/(x86.id:=extract(@onclick,'\"^(.*^)\"',1),x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())),//a[contains(text(),'x64')]/(x64.id:=extract(@onclick,'\"^(.*^)\"',1),x64.txt:=normalize-space(text()))" --output-format^=cmd') DO %%A

Is there a way to let XIDEL read it's commands from a file ?

Yes. 'query.xq':

//a[contains(text(),'x86')]/(
  x86.id:=extract(@onclick,'"(.*)"',1),
  x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())
),
//a[contains(text(),'x64')]/(
  x64.id:=extract(@onclick,'"(.*)"',1),
  x64.txt:=normalize-space(text())
)

or

//a[contains(text(),"x86")]/(
  x86.id:=extract(@onclick,"""(.*)""",1),
  x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())
),
//a[contains(text(),"x64")]/(
  x64.id:=extract(@onclick,"""(.*)""",1),
  x64.txt:=normalize-space(text())
)

or

//a[contains(text(),"x86")]/(
  x86.id:=extract(@onclick,""(.*)"",1),
  x86.txt:=normalize-space(text())
),
//a[contains(text(),"x64")]/(
  x64.id:=extract(@onclick,""(.*)"",1),
  x64.txt:=normalize-space(text())
)

And then:

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('xidel -s "%fil%" --extract-file^='query.xq' --output-format^=cmd') DO %%A

or

FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('xidel -s "%fil%" -e @query.xq --output-format^=cmd') DO %%A

And as you can see, in this case it doesn't matter if you use Windows- or Linux quotation for the extraction-file.

[Anonymous]

What an enlightenment! Every line! ... and so many things I should have known.
Reino, I thank you this late night lesson. - I won't forget this one.

[Reino]

No problem.
One last thing I forgot to mention: substring-before(@id,'_link') is another option instead of extract(@onclick,'\"(.*)\"',1). Probably easier because there are no double-quotes to deal with.

[Anonymous]

I used @onclick because I thought, @onclick references the 'true' UUID.
When I realized, that UUID is consistantly used all over the site, I switched to @id in the way you mentioned.
... sInce " double-quotes are no problem anymore :-)

Thank you very much, Reino

[Anonymous]

... since " double-quotes are no problem anymore :-)