XML::LibXML::Text(3)

💖 XML::LibXML::Text 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because today we're talking about XML::LibXML::Text — the XML::LibXML Class for Text Nodes ✨ this is a User Contributed Perl Documentation page and it is, no cap, kind of the backbone of everything you'll ever do with text in LibXML. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

use XML::LibXML;
# Only methods specific to Text nodes are listed here,
# see the XML::LibXML::Node manpage for other methods

$text = XML::LibXML::Text->new( $content );
$nodedata = $text->data;
$text->setData( $text_content );
$text->substringData($offset, $length);
$text->appendData( $somedata );
$text->insertData($offset, $string);
$text->deleteData($offset, $length);
$text->deleteDataString($remstring, $all);
$text->replaceData($offset, $length, $string);
$text->replaceDataString($old, $new, $flag);
$text->replaceDataRegEx( $search_cond, $replace_cond, $reflags );

like, that's the whole vibe check right there 💅

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so here's the tea 🍓 and it's a little bit of a plot twist: unlike the DOM specification, XML::LibXML implements the text node as the base class of all character data node. so bestie, that means there is no CharacterData class — none, doesn't exist, never met her 🙈

which is actually iconic of it, because it means you can apply methods of text nodes to Comments and CDATA-sections too. one class, many queens 👑

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🎀 METHODS 🎀

The class inherits from XML::LibXML::Node. The documentation for Inherited methods is not listed here — go read the Node page for that, bestie, this page is text-node-only 💖

Many functions listed here are extensively documented in the DOM Level 3 specification (<http://www.w3.org/TR/DOM-Level-3-Core/>). Please refer to the specification for extensive documentation. (we're giving you the highlights, the spec has the whole lore ✨)

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💫 new

$text = XML::LibXML::Text->new( $content );

The constructor of the class. It creates an unbound text node. that's it, that's the birth 🦋 no parents, no drama, just vibes and content.

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💫 data

$nodedata = $text->data;

okay so there's already a "nodeValue" attribute in the Node class, right? but the DOM specification defines data as a separate attribute. and XML::LibXML implements these two attributes not as different attributes, but as aliases — exactly like "libxml2" does. so:

$text->data;

and

$text->nodeValue;

will have the same result and are not different entities. they're literally the same girl, different outfit 💅

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💫 setData($string)

$text->setData( $text_content );

This function sets or replaces text content to a node. The node has to be of the type "text", "cdata" or "comment". know your type before you come for her, bestie 🙈

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💫 substringData($offset,$length)

$text->substringData($offset, $length);

Extracts a range of data from the node. (DOM Spec) This function takes the two parameters $offset and $length and returns the sub-string, if available. ✂️

If the node contains no data or $offset refers to an non-existing string index, this function will return undef. If $length is out of range, "substringData" will return the data starting at $offset instead of causing an error. so it's forgiving, not chaotic 🫶

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💫 appendData($string)

$text->appendData( $somedata );

Appends a string to the end of the existing data. If the current text node contains no data, this function has the same effect as "setData". sneaky but useful ✨

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💫 insertData($offset,$string)

$text->insertData($offset, $string);

Inserts the parameter $string at the given $offset of the existing data of the node. This operation will not remove existing data, but it will change the order of the existing data. so nothing is lost, it's just getting rearranged 💃

The $offset has to be a positive value. If $offset is out of range, "insertData" will have the same behaviour as "appendData". out of range? okay, we're just appending then, no big deal 😌

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💫 deleteData($offset, $length)

$text->deleteData($offset, $length);

This method removes a chunk from the existing node data at the given offset. The $length parameter tells, how many characters should be removed from the string. bye bye characters, you were loved 🥲

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💫 deleteDataString($string, [$all])

$text->deleteDataString($remstring, $all);

This method removes a chunk from the existing node data. Since the DOM spec is quite unhandy if you already know "which" string to remove from a text node, this method allows more perlish code :) and honestly? we love that for us 💅

The functions takes two parameters: $string and optional the $all flag. If $all is not set, undef or 0, "deleteDataString" will remove only the first occurrence of $string. If $all is TRUE, "deleteDataString" will remove all occurrences of $string from the node data. choose your fighter 🎀

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💫 replaceData($offset, $length, $string)

$text->replaceData($offset, $length, $string);

The DOM style version to replace node data. classic, formal, does exactly what it says on the tin ✨

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💫 replaceDataString($oldstring, $newstring, [$all])

$text->replaceDataString($old, $new, $flag);

The more programmer friendly version of replaceData() :) 🫶

Instead of giving offsets and length one can specify the exact string ($oldstring) to be replaced. Additionally the $all flag allows one to replace all occurrences of $oldstring. no counting characters, just tell her what to swap 💖

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💫 replaceDataRegEx( $search_cond, $replace_cond, $reflags )

$text->replaceDataRegEx( $search_cond, $replace_cond, $reflags );

This method replaces the node's data by a "simple" regular expression. Optional, this function allows one to pass some flags that will be added as flag to the replace statement. regex girlies rise 🔥

NOTE: This is a shortcut for

my $datastr = $node->getData();
 $datastr =~ s/somecond/replacement/g; # 'g' is just an example for any flag
 $node->setData( $datastr );

This function can make things easier to read for simple replacements. For more complex variants it is recommended to use the code snippet above. iykyk 👑

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👑 AUTHORS 👑

Matt Sergeant, Christian Glahn, Petr Pajas

the founding mothers, respectfully 🫶

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⭐ VERSION ⭐

2.0213

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

2001-2007, AxKit.com Ltd.

2002-2006, Christian Glahn.

2006-2009, Petr Pajas.

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🌈 LICENSE 🌈

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. periodt 💅

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this was XML::LibXML::Text(3) from perl v5.42.2, dated 2026-05-25 — go forth and handle your text nodes, you absolute main character 🦋💖✨