Can JQuery or JavaScript be used to manipulate XML/DOM without a browser?

Question

I am starting to study some web technologies to integrate content, markup, layout, styling and behaviors of stuff for personal use (NOT web developing for now) and am amazed with the power of JQuery selectors and functions.

I have heard that there are some ways to use javascript "outside" a browser, to do some DOM selection, manipulation, etc. I wonder if JQuery could be used that way too.

So, what I would like to do is:

Using some programming/scripting language (I use Python), access a XML file and parse its DOM;
Programmatically manipulate and modify the DOM with javascript/jquery selectors and functions;
Save the results to (possibly another) XML file.

I use [HTA](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms536496%28v=vs.85%29.aspx) for that since it gives you a filesystem object too. HTA is however just IE in a box — mplungjan, Mar 07 '12 at 14:18
jQuery relies on the DOM functions which only exist in web-browsers... — Šime Vidas, Mar 07 '12 at 14:19
@hippietrail jQuery uses the browser's DOM methods when performing DOM querying, DOM traversal, and DOM manipulation. Just look at jQuery's source code. I don't know what you mean by your comment... — Šime Vidas, Aug 17 '12 at 12:44
@ŠimeVidas: Sorry my "not any more" referred not to jQuery relying on the DOM functions. It referred to the DOM functions only existing in web browsers. I've been reading of more and more tools which include their own DOM implementation. One seems to be [`jsdom`](https://github.com/tmpvar/jsdom). I think `node.js` provides a DOM too. — hippietrail, Aug 17 '12 at 12:55
Just to be sure, I asked a question here that people can point to or find via Google: **[Are there implementations of the W3C DOM other than in web browsers?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12006490/are-there-implementations-of-the-w3c-dom-other-than-in-web-browsers)** — hippietrail, Aug 17 '12 at 13:28
@hippietrail Ah, I see. Yes, my original comment is not correct. DOM implementations are *not* limited to browsers. — Šime Vidas, Aug 17 '12 at 15:57

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 07 '12 at 17:15

3

If you like jQuery syntax, check out pyQuery:

from pyquery import PyQuery

_ = PyQuery('<body><p></p></body>')
_("p").text("hello").css({'color': 'red'})
print _.html()


>>> <p style="color: red">hello</p>

answered Mar 07 '12 at 17:15

georg

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score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 07 '12 at 14:18

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yeah, you just need a Javascript run time.

Check out node.js

answered Mar 07 '12 at 14:18

Mild Fuzz

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score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:34

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What you're looking for is called a "headless" browser.

This SO post may help:

Real headless browser

edited May 23 '17 at 10:34

Community

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answered Mar 07 '12 at 14:18

Diodeus - James MacFarlane

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 07 '12 at 14:28

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Basically you need a javascript interpreter (ex: V8) + wrapper for your language of choice (ex: pyv8). Then you can do this (from pyv8 page):

import PyV8
ctxt = PyV8.JSContext()
ctxt.enter()
ctxt.eval("1+2") # 1+2 is a javascript code

answered Mar 07 '12 at 14:28

Uzbekjon

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This seems promising. Could you show some minimal code of what XML file manipulation would look like? – heltonbiker Mar 07 '12 at 14:32

Can JQuery or JavaScript be used to manipulate XML/DOM without a browser?

4 Answers4