Read nested XML with Model and Store

[swardson]

Hey all,

I have an xml file I am reading. Here it is:

<?xmk version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<course>
<title></title>
<pages>
<page>
<id>01</id>
<type>content</type>
<title>Title 1</title>
<url>path/to/file.html</url>
<options>
<option>option1</option>
<option>option2</option>
<option>option3</option>
</options>
</page>
<page>
<id>02</id>
<type>content</type>
<title>Title 2</title>
<url>path/to/file.html</url>
<options>
<option>option1</option>
<option>option2</option>
<option>option3</option>
</options>
</page>

</pages>
</course>

Currently I am reading the xml with an xml proxy reader in my store by setting the root to 'pages' and the record to 'page' However, I want to read in the options elements as well. I thought about creating another model for options and a store that uses options as root and option as record. but I need that information tied to the page record.

I tried setting the data type for options to be 'auto' in my model but it's not reading the data. Is this a job for associations? or is there a more simple way to pull the data in?

Thanks!

[mitchellsimoens]

The issue probably is that it doesn't know what fields to look for in the <options> tag

[swardson]

Okay, after doing some more research I am pretty sure I need associated models to achieve this. After writing some more code toward this end I have run into an interesting wall. I am expecting it's a simple mistake.

First of all I changed the <options> and <option> tags in the xml to <answers> and <answer> to prevent confusion with some other variables I was using in my Controller.

Here is the new model structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<course>
<title></title>
<pages>
<page> 
<id>01</id>
<type>content</type>
<title>Title 1</title>
<url>path/to/file.html</url>
<answers> 
<answer>Answer 1</answer>
<answer>Answer 2</answer>
<answer>Answer 3</answer>
<answer>Answer 4</answer>
</options>
</page>
<page> 
<id>02</id>
<type>content</type>
<title>Title 2</title>
<url>path/to/file.html</url>
<answers> 
<answer>Answer 1</answer>
<answer>Answer 2</answer>
<answer>Answer 3</answer>
<answer>Answer 4</answer>
</options>
</page>  
</pages>
</course>

I created a new model with the fields needed to read the answers and I had to create a proxy for it because the data wasn't being read in otherwise. (This might be my problem, I am not sure). I also read in another thread that you need to create a field in the parent Model that matches the associated model. (This also could be a problem, not sure).

app.models.answers = Ext.regModel('answers', {
    fields: [
        {name: 'answer', type: 'string' },
    ],
    proxy: {
        type: 'ajax',
        url : 'assets/xml/course.xml',
        
        reader: {
            type: 'xml',
            //root: 'answers',
            record: 'answer'
        },
    },
});

app.models.pages = Ext.regModel('pages', {
    fields: [
        {name: 'id', type: 'string' },
        {name: 'type', type: 'string' },
        {name: 'title', type: 'string' },
        {name: 'url', type: 'string' },
        {name: 'question', type: 'string' },
        {name: 'answers', type: 'auto' },
        {name: 'correct', type: 'int' },
        {name: 'tries', type: 'int' },        
    ],
    
    hasMany: {model: 'answers', name: 'answers'},
}); 

Now in my controller I create a new answers object using the record.answers() getter function that is auto generated. when I look at the new answers.data it's an array of objects. If I drill down to the data with answers.data.items[0] I can see the answer field but it is blank text, but the pages_id shows the correct id from the <page> object. However, if I drill to answers.data.items[0].raw it returns the raw xml properly. <answer>Answer 1</answer>. What this tells me is the data is being read properly, but the answer field isn't being populated with the text in the <answer> tag.

Any help out there?

[swardson]

Anything?

It would seem that reading nested xml structure would be more common and easier to accomplish given the fact that most of the power of xml is in nesting structures.

Thanks!