js2xml outputs empty string

[jncr]

// test.js
const convert = require('xml-js');
const js = { request: { user: 'username', pass: 'password', numbers: { number: 1, number: 2 } } }
const xml = convert.js2xml(js);
console.log(xml);

> node test.js
''

node@8.1.2
xml-js@1.3.2

runkit here - https://runkit.com/jncr/xml-js. Something I'm doing wrong?

[nashwaan]

@jncr ,
First of all, your js object is illegal. The numbers object has two properties of same name, number.
Secondly, the js object is missing _text property.

The correct js object should be:

const js = {
    request: {
        user: {
            _text: 'username'
        },
        pass: {
            _text: 'password'
        },
        numbers: {
            number: [
                {
                    _text: 1
                },
                {
                    _text: 2
                }
            ]
        }
    }
};

Lastly, you need to pass compact: true option to tell the parser that the input is in compact form:

const xml = convert.js2xml(js, {compact: true});

---

However, your sample input is simpler and I like it. I will try to add support to this kind of input so the parser can accept the following (note the usage of array in number to work around javascript object restriction):

const js = {
  request: {
    user: 'username', 
    pass: 'password', 
      numbers: {
        number: [1, 2]
      }
    }
  }
}

[nashwaan]

Sorry @jncr. Now I remember why I did not support this kind of input. Although input like

const js = {name: 'Yousuf'}

is simpler than:

const js = {name: {_text: 'Yousuf'}}

which both can be parsed into xml as:

<name>Yousuf</name>

---

But the problem occurs when there is some attributes with the node. Say we want the output xml to be:

<name title="Mr">Yousuf</name>

We cannot use your syntax to support this. But we can use this syntax to support this requirement:

const js = {name: {_attributes: {title: 'Mr'}, _text: 'Yousuf'}}

---

To further illustrate why _text is crucial, consider the following example:

const js = {name: {_attributes: {title: 'Mr'}, _text: 'Yousuf', rating: {_text: 'good'}}}

which will generate following xml:

<name title="Mr">
    Yousuf
    <rating>good</rating>
</name>

I don't think this can be represented by your js object syntax.

[nashwaan]

@jncr
I have supported in v1.5.1 converting js object {a: 'hi'} (rather than {a: {_text: 'hi'}}) to <a>hi</a>.

See also release notes.