Here we go...another XML question :) I was under the impression that

Sorry...typo...I do want to store an empty string value if the child tag does not exist.

Have you tried using the XPath boolean() function I mentioned here: forum.appian.com/.../b-50613

I replied to that when I remembered I had asked this question a few months ago. I am trying the boolean function..but with no success yet.

This syntax doe not return a boolean response like I as hoping....

xpathsnippet("<GetCustomerAccountsResponse></GetCustomerAccountsResponse>", "boolean(//ProductTypeCode)")

try (off the top of my head, so syntax may not be correct):

count("//*[local-name(.)='ProductTypeCode']")

This will give you the *number* of elements that match the condition. Then test to see if this is zero or non-zero. This will tell you if the element exists.

You're correct that it does not return a Boolean type. Using typename(runtimetypeof()) it returns a List of Text String. The Text String is either "true" or "false."

Try: exact("true", xpathsnippet("<GetCustomerAccountsResponse></GetCustomerAccountsResponse>", "boolean(//ProductTypeCode)")[1])

That expression returns a Boolean type.

No luck....no value is being stored in the test boolean. I cut/paste right from the forum. For the account I am using, there are 0 instances of ProductTypeCode so I left the [1]. The application will be looking for multiple instances of ProductTypeCode...it is in a child object <Account> that can repeat any number of times. I want to save the <ProductTypeCode> value when the tag exists and when the tag doesn't exist, I want to save an empy string. All of this will go into a multple PV array.

aTempAccount_Ary

CustomerID
AccountID
ProductTypeCode


XML Response Structure
<GetCustomerAccountsResponse>
<GetCustomerAccountsResponseMessage>
<Customer>
<Accounts>
<Account>
<ProductTypeCode>
</Account>
<Account>
**missing ProductTypeCode tag
</Account>
<Account>
<ProductTypeCode>
</Account>
</Accounts>
</Customer>
</GetCustomerAccountsResponseMessage>
</GetCustomerAccountsResponse>

Having a look at stackoverflow.com/.../xpath-for-missing-node you might be able to do two xpath. The first for all accounts with a producttypecode, the second for all without one.