How to generate xml file with retool?

App Building
1

Can anyone tell me how to create xml file in retool or do I need to use external libraries?

2

Hi @vitolin,

Welcome to the community!

There is no built-in way to create an XML file in Retool. However, you can use an external library to create an XML file.

One popular library that you can use is the xml2js library. This library allows you to convert JavaScript objects to XML and XML to JavaScript objects.

To use the xml2js library to create an XML file in Retool, you can follow these steps:

  1. Install the xml2js library:
npm install xml2js
  1. Create a new JavaScript file and import the xml2js library:
const xml2js = require('xml2js');

  1. Create a JavaScript object that represents the XML data that you want to create.

  2. Use the xml2js.Builder() function to convert the JavaScript object to XML:

const builder = new xml2js.Builder();
const xml = builder.buildObject(jsonObject);
  1. Save the XML data to a file:
const fs = require('fs');
fs.writeFileSync('my-xml-file.xml', xml);

Once you have saved the XML data to a file, you can download the file or upload it to a server.

Here is an example of how to use the xml2js library to create an XML file in Retool:

// Import the xml2js library
const xml2js = require('xml2js');

// Create a JavaScript object that represents the XML data that you want to create
const jsonObject = {
  name: 'John Doe',
  age: 30,
};

// Use the xml2js.Builder() function to convert the JavaScript object to XML
const builder = new xml2js.Builder();
const xml = builder.buildObject(jsonObject);

// Save the XML data to a file
const fs = require('fs');
fs.writeFileSync('my-xml-file.xml', xml);

This example will create an XML file called my-xml-file.xml with the following contents:

<person>
  <name>John Doe</name>
  <age>30</age>
</person>

You can then download the XML file or upload it to a server.

Once you have created an XML file, you can use it in Retool in a number of ways. For example, you can use it to:

  • Display the XML data in a table.
  • Upload the XML data to a third-party API.
  • Use the XML data to generate a report.

To display the XML data in a table, you can use the Retool Table component. To do this, you will need to create a new table and select the XML file as the data source.

To upload the XML data to a third-party API, you can use the Retool REST API connector. To do this, you will need to create a new AI Action query and select the REST API connector as the AI model. You will then need to configure the REST API connector to send the XML data to the third-party API.

To use the XML data to generate a report, you can use the Retool Report Builder component. To do this, you will need to create a new report and select the XML file as the data source.

Hope this helps.

:grinning:

Patrick

1 Like
3

How can I install libraries in retool?

4

Hi @vitolin,

There are two ways to install libraries in Retool:

  1. Install libraries globally: This will install the library for all Retool apps in your organization. To do this, go to Settings > Advanced > Libraries and add the URL of the library to the list of libraries.
  2. Install libraries per app: This will install the library only for the app that you are currently working on. To do this, go to the Scripts and styles section of the app's settings and add the URL of the library to the list of libraries.

Once you have installed a library, you can import it into your Retool code using the import statement. For example, to import the xml2js library, you would use the following code:

import xml2js from 'xml2js';

Once you have imported the library, you can use it in your Retool code like any other library.

Here are some examples of how to use libraries in Retool:

  • Use the xml2js library to create an XML file:
import xml2js from 'xml2js';

const jsonObject = {
  name: 'John Doe',
  age: 30,
};

const builder = new xml2js.Builder();
const xml = builder.buildObject(jsonObject);

const fs = require('fs');
fs.writeFileSync('my-xml-file.xml', xml);
  • Use the Axios library to make an HTTP request:
import axios from 'axios';

const response = await axios.get('https://example.com/api/users');

const users = response.data;
  • Use the React library to create a user interface:
import React from 'react';

const MyComponent = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
    </div>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

You can use libraries in Retool to add new functionality to your apps, such as the ability to read and write files, make HTTP requests, and create user interfaces.

Hope this helps.

:grinning:

Patrick

2 Likes
5

As mentioned above, you can add a library globally or at the app level. To add a custom library at the app level, go to Settings -> Libraries -> Add: https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/xml-js@1.6.11/dist/xml-js.min.js.

One note is that you will not need to use any import statements in Javascript queries. Once the library is imported, you can access it directly without the need for importing. Library compatibility varies, but we have an export as xml example is shown here.

Currently, React code is only compatible inside a custom component. You may choose to use your library that you've added globally or at the app level inside a Javascript query, or you may choose to import your library within a custom React component.