How can I compare two similar XML files in XMLUnit

Question

Hi

I am trying to use XMLUnit to compare two similar XML files. Basically every thing is same. File1 is a copy of File2. But in File2 I have changed the order of some elements in one node.

Now I am trying to run a test where it compares these files and returns a result of "similar" and not treat these files as "different".

Can you please help me? Thanks!

Answer 1

I think this link can help you - http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-cq121906.html#N10158

Basically, if your File1 is like -

<account>
 <id>3A-00</id>
 <name>acme</name>
</account>

And File2 is same, but only differs in order of <name> and <id> -

<account>
 <name>acme</name>
 <id>3A-00</id>
</account>

Then you can write a test like below which will compare these and return similar.

public void testIdenticalAndSimilar() throws Exception {
   String controlXML = "<account><id>3A-00</id><name>acme</name></account>";
   String testXML = "<account><name>acme</name><id>3A-00</id></account>"; 
   Diff diff = new Diff(controlXML, testXML);
   assertTrue(diff.similar());
   assertFalse(diff.identical());
}

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

I am trying to compare these two files (note1.xml and note2.xml). My code does not return a "similar" result. What am I doing wrong? Please help.

**//////////////////////////My code** InputSource xml1 = new InputSource("C:\xmlunit-1.3\note1.xml"); InputSource xml2 = new InputSource("C:\xmlunit-1.3\note2.xml"); Diff different = XMLUnit.compareXML(xml1, xml2); System.out.println("******************************************"); System.out.println("Similar: " + different.similar() + "\nIdentical: " + different.identical() + "\nDifferent: " + different.toString()); System.out.println("*****************************************");

/////////////////////////Output

---

Similar: false Identical: false Different: org.custommonkey.xmlunit.Diff [not identical] Expected sequence of child nodes '1' but was '5' - comparing at /note[1]/to[1] to at /note[1]/to[1]

[not identical] Expected sequence of child nodes '3' but was '1' - comparing at /note[1]/from[1] to at /note[1]/from[1]

[different] Expected text value ' ' but was ' ' - comparing at /note[1]/text()[3] to at /note[1]/text()[3]

---

/////////////////////////note1.xml Tam John Reminder How are you?

//////////////////////note2.xml John Reminder Tam
I'm fine.