Groovy delete a tag in a XMLSlurper, replaceNode {} does nothing

Question

I am parsing some XML with XMLSlurper (groovy 1.7.4) and I need to delete a tag (not make it empty!). Here is a code sample illustrating it:

import groovy.xml.StreamingMarkupBuilder

def CAR_RECORDS = '''
    <records>
      <car name='HSV Maloo' make='Holden' year='2006'>
        <country>Australia</country>
        <record type='speed'>Production Pickup Truck with speed of 271kph</record>
      </car>
      <car name='P50' make='Peel' year='1962'>
        <country>Isle of Man</country>
        <record type='size'>Smallest Street-Legal Car at 99cm wide and 59 kg in weight</record>
      </car>
      <car name='Royale' make='Bugatti' year='1931'>
        <country>France</country>
        <record type='price'>Most Valuable Car at $15 million</record>
      </car>
    </records>
  '''

def records = new XmlSlurper().parseText(CAR_RECORDS)
def allRecords = records.car
assert 3 == allRecords.size()

def firstRecord = records.car[0]
assert 'car' == firstRecord.name()
println 'country before: ' + firstRecord.'country'.text()
firstRecord.'country'.replaceNode {}

println 'country after: ' + firstRecord.'country'.text()

This prints

country before: Australia
country after: Australia

In XMLSlurper, there is no firstRecord.remove('country')

I'm really puzzled. This is such an obvious thing to do...

Answer 1

If you print out the XML from the Slurper after your call to replaceNode though:

import groovy.xml.XmlUtil

// ... your code here, followed by: ...

println XmlUtil.serialize(new StreamingMarkupBuilder().bind {
  mkp.yield records
} )

The country node seems to be gone:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<records>
  <car name="HSV Maloo" year="2006" make="Holden">
    <record type="speed">Production Pickup Truck with speed of 271kph</record>
  </car>
  <car name="P50" year="1962" make="Peel">
    <country>Isle of Man</country>
    <record type="size">Smallest Street-Legal Car at 99cm wide and 59 kg in weight</record>
  </car>
  <car name="Royale" year="1931" make="Bugatti">
    <country>France</country>
    <record type="price">Most Valuable Car at $15 million</record>
  </car>
</records>