Saving XML files using ElementTree

Question

I'm trying to develop simple Python (3.2) code to read XML files, do some corrections and store them back. However, during the storage step ElementTree adds this namespace nomenclature. For example:

<ns0:trk>
  <ns0:name>ACTIVE LOG</ns0:name>
<ns0:trkseg>
<ns0:trkpt lat="38.5" lon="-120.2">
  <ns0:ele>6.385864</ns0:ele>
  <ns0:time>2011-12-10T17:46:30Z</ns0:time>
</ns0:trkpt>
<ns0:trkpt lat="40.7" lon="-120.95">
  <ns0:ele>5.905273</ns0:ele>
  <ns0:time>2011-12-10T17:46:51Z</ns0:time>
</ns0:trkpt>
<ns0:trkpt lat="43.252" lon="-126.453">
  <ns0:ele>7.347168</ns0:ele>
  <ns0:time>2011-12-10T17:52:28Z</ns0:time>
</ns0:trkpt>
</ns0:trkseg>
</ns0:trk>

The code snippet is below:

def parse_gpx_data(gpxdata, tzname=None, npoints=None, filter_window=None,
                   output_file_name=None):
        ET = load_xml_library();

    def find_trksegs_or_route(etree, ns):
        trksegs=etree.findall('.//'+ns+'trkseg')
        if trksegs:
            return trksegs, "trkpt"
        else: # try to display route if track is missing
            rte=etree.findall('.//'+ns+'rte')
            return rte, "rtept"

    # try GPX10 namespace first
    try:
        element = ET.XML(gpxdata)
    except ET.ParseError as v:
        row, column = v.position
        print ("error on row %d, column %d:%d" % row, column, v)

    print ("%s" % ET.tostring(element))
    trksegs,pttag=find_trksegs_or_route(element, GPX10)
    NS=GPX10
    if not trksegs: # try GPX11 namespace otherwise
        trksegs,pttag=find_trksegs_or_route(element, GPX11)
        NS=GPX11
    if not trksegs: # try without any namespace
        trksegs,pttag=find_trksegs_or_route(element, "")
        NS=""

    # Store the results if requested
    if output_file_name:
        ET.register_namespace('', GPX11)
        ET.register_namespace('', GPX10)
        ET.ElementTree(element).write(output_file_name, xml_declaration=True)

    return;

I have tried using the register_namespace, but with no positive result. Are there any specific changes for this version of ElementTree 1.3?

Answer 1

In order to avoid the ns0 prefix the default namespace should be set before reading the XML data.

ET.register_namespace('', "http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1")
ET.register_namespace('', "http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0")