WG: AW: Extract text from XML, pay attention to XML Entities

Dear Mailing List,

this is a re-post of https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/615fa488caa2422393498300d476dcc0%40stmuk.bayern.de .

Thanks to Adrian Klaver, who pointed out here that this question could be right on this mailing list.

To sum up the discussion,
* The xml2 extension contains the function xml_string, which allows to extract text nodes, thereby un-escaping XML, i. e. " foo &lt; bar" becomes "foo < bar".
* (But the xml2 xml_string function won't deal with namespaces as far as I understand.)
* This functionality is missing in the newer API (see the first link for more elaboration on that).
* And as https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/xml2.html states, " please explain your issue to <pgsql-hackers(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org> so that the deficiency can be addressed".

Any suggestions or any plans to add similar functionality to the newer API?
Thank You.

Regards,
Franz-Josef Färber

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Adrian Klaver <adrian(dot)klaver(at)aklaver(dot)com>
Gesendet: Dienstag, 29. September 2026 17:49
An: Färber, Franz-Josef (StMUK) <Franz-Josef(dot)Faerber(at)stmuk(dot)bayern(dot)de>; David G. Johnston <david(dot)g(dot)johnston(at)gmail(dot)com>
Cc: pgsql-general(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org
Betreff: Re: AW: Extract text from XML, pay attention to XML Entities

On 9/29/26 6:12 AM, Färber, Franz-Josef (StMUK) wrote:
> Hello David,
>
> Thanks for your reply.
>
> It’s just strange and unfortunate that
>
> a) Postgres does not offer a simple solution

I think you are left with from here:

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/xml2.html

"If you find that some of the functionality of this module is not available in an adequate form with the newer API, please explain your issue to <pgsql-hackers(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org> so that the deficiency can be addressed."

>
> b) Postgres had indeed offered a simple solution, xml_string, in the
> xml2 extension, which is deprecated (and won't deal with namespaces).
>
> Regards,
>
> Franz-Josef Färber
--
Adrian Klaver
adrian(dot)klaver(at)aklaver(dot)com