Sed command to edit an XML file doesn't work

Question

I'm not a developer or anything close to IT, I'm a medical student, I'm just trying to use tasker to edit an xml file (Telegram notification shared preferences) using sed shell command. This is the xml file :

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?><map>
<int name="diditem-1147514813" value="11890" />
<boolean name="EnableContactJoined" value="true" />
<int name="diditemo-1088528518" value="241" />
<int name="spam3_-1482963590" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1332601105" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1363717298"></string>
<int name="spam3_98617228" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1140252249" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1408220341" value="2" />
<boolean name="silent_-1366564907" value="false" />
<string name="org.telegram.key826702649_s"></string>
<int name="notify2_-1346720866" value="2" />
<boolean name="silent_-1127069572" value="false" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1404277588_s"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1449317726" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1070638809" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1221388827" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1363717298" value="2" />
<boolean name="silent_-1134531399" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1452321226" value="2" />
<int name="diditemo-1147391459" value="95" />
<int name="notify2_-1123180379" value="2" />
<int name="notify2_-1123340592" value="2" />
<int name="diditemo-1120840953" value="671" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1058364321"></string>
<int name="notify2_-1138327678" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key644204122_s"></string>
<int name="notify2_-1058364321" value="2" />
<int name="nextTosCheckTime" value="1561198884" />
<int name="diditem-1147391459" value="21442" />
<int name="spam3_-1075225279" value="1" />
<int name="diditemo200752145" value="-3" />
<int name="spam3_-1136693240" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1083963611_s"></string>
<int name="notify2_-1094873662" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1070638809_s"></string>
<boolean name="silent_-1238708706" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1467863848" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1363717298_s"></string>
<boolean name="silent_-1094873662" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_200752145" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key777000_s"></string>
<string name="org.telegram.key-1332601105"></string>
<int name="diditem-1075225279" value="1296" />
<int name="EnableAll2" value="0" />
<int name="spam3_777000" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1147514813" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1465895562" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1083963611" value="2" />
<int name="notify2_-1238708706" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1404277588"></string>
<int name="diditemo-1482963590" value="255" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1008063018_s"></string>
<int name="archivedStickersCount0" value="0" />
<int name="spam3_826702649" value="1" />
<int name="archivedStickersCount1" value="0" />
<int name="diditemo-1115111220" value="135" />
<int name="spam3_215206978" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1467863848" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1136693240" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1114306967" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_636556753" value="0" />
<int name="dismissDate" value="1560249231" />
<int name="spam3_-1037167615" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_773503309" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1330052861" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1094873662" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1467863848" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1332601105" value="2" />
<boolean name="silent_-1058364321" value="false" />
<int name="EnableChannel2" value="0" />
<int name="notify2_-1366564907" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1058364321" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1083963611"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1120288839" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1208669633" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1208669633" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1146675158" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1116272386" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1123340592" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1109249098" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1134531399" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1147391459" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1452321226" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1147558401" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1008063018" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1115111220" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1127069572" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1001767481" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1070638809" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1096407797_s"></string>
<string name="org.telegram.key-1008063018"></string>
<string name="org.telegram.key826702649"></string>
<int name="spam3_459070976" value="1" />
<boolean name="askAboutContacts" value="true" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1070638809"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1172303505" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1008420687" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1147558401_s">c444f5f452062a465bdab093e40b0417</string>
<string name="org.telegram.key200752145"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1045490838" value="1" />
<int name="diditem-1120840953" value="5976" />
<string name="org.telegram.key773503309"></string>
<boolean name="silent_-1136693240" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1208669633" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1029023478" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1120549898" value="false" />
<int name="diditemo-1075225279" value="346" />
<boolean name="EnableInAppPreview" value="false" />
<int name="EnableGroup2" value="0" />
<int name="spam3_-1238708706" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1147558401" value="0" />
<int name="spam3_-1061616576" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1147558401">0channel-1147558401_3373524404048658363</string>
<string name="org.telegram.key200752145_s"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1142805440" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1120549898" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1098270440" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1120840953" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key773503309_s"></string>
<int name="diditem200752145" value="19605" />
<int name="notify2_-1139909213" value="2" />
<boolean name="silent_-1075225279" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1363717298" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1088528518" value="false" />
<int name="diditem-1088528518" value="3444" />
<int name="spam3_644204122" value="1" />
<boolean name="EnablePreviewGroup" value="true" />
<int name="spam3_-1040029844" value="1" />
<int name="diditemo-1147514813" value="580" />
<boolean name="silent_-1029023478" value="false" />
<boolean name="silent_-1096407797" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1404277588" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1096407797" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1235237937" value="1" />
<int name="notify2_-1088528518" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1070638809" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1408220341" value="false" />
<boolean name="silent_636556753" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1096407797" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1088528518" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1332601105_s"></string>
<int name="diditem-1115111220" value="956" />
<int name="diditem-1482963590" value="266" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1040029844"></string>
<int name="notify2_-1075225279" value="2" />
<int name="spam3_-1268571449" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key644204122"></string>
<boolean name="EnablePreviewChannel" value="true" />
<int name="notify2_-1221388827" value="2" />
<string name="org.telegram.key-1040029844_s"></string>
<string name="org.telegram.key-1096407797"></string>
<string name="org.telegram.key-1058364321_s"></string>
<boolean name="silent_-1147558401" value="false" />
<boolean name="EnablePreviewAll" value="false" />
<int name="spam3_-1091591879" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1138327678" value="1" />
<string name="org.telegram.key777000"></string>
<int name="spam3_-1308595305" value="1" />
<int name="spam3_-1008063018" value="1" />
<boolean name="silent_-1008063018" value="false" />
<boolean name="silent_-1363717298" value="false" />
<boolean name="silent_-1138327678" value="false" />
<int name="notify2_-1029023478" value="2" />

So I was testing on txt file and the command was the following:

sed -i 's+"EnablePreviewAll" value="false"/>+"EnablePreviewAll" value="true"/>+' /storage/emulated/0/basel.txt

It doesn't give me an error but the value doesn't change at all. (I'm using Termux with root access) (I copied the text and named it basel.txt to test on it)

Your `sed` command [works](https://ideone.com/v5NAZj). Are you using a GNU sed? If not and you are using a FreeBSD (say, in MacOS), try `sed -i '' 's+"EnablePreviewAll" value="false"/>+"EnablePreviewAll" value="true"/>+' /storage/emulated/0/basel.txt` — Wiktor Stribiżew, Jun 22 '19 at 09:23
@WiktorStribiżew now it's telling me 'no such file or directory exists ' by the way, I tested on simple txt to change 'hello' to 'bye' and it worked , so I think what's happening is that it's not finding the text to replace it — Basel Qarabash, Jun 22 '19 at 09:27
sed -i 's+hello+bye+' /storage/emulated/0/foo.txt the text is "hello from the other world " and it worked — Basel Qarabash, Jun 22 '19 at 09:36
It's a shared preference file of an app, I want to change the value from false to true. — Basel Qarabash, Jun 22 '19 at 10:00
You have a space `" />` in the file and you have no space in the code. `sed -i '' 's+"EnablePreviewAll" value="false" />+"EnablePreviewAll" value="true"/>+' /storage/emulated/0/basel.txt` should work — Wiktor Stribiżew, Jun 22 '19 at 10:29
[Don't Parse XML/HTML With Regex.](https://stackoverflow.com/a/1732454/3776858) I suggest to use an XML/HTML parser (xmlstarlet, xmllint ...). — Cyrus, Jun 22 '19 at 10:29
@WiktorStribiżew with your code this happened : < sed: s+"EnablePreviewAll" value="false" />+"EnablePreviewAll" value="true"/>+: No such file or directory and I edited every space and copy paste everything to make sure but still it didn't work — Basel Qarabash, Jun 22 '19 at 10:51
@Cyrus can i use them from shell or tasker (I want to do all the job from tasker or some tasker plugin) — Basel Qarabash, Jun 22 '19 at 10:53
The `''` should be removed from the previous snippet I shared. — Wiktor Stribiżew, Jun 22 '19 at 15:07

potong · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-22T16:49:08.933

1

This might work for you (GNU sed):

sed -i '/EnablePreviewAll/s/false/true/' file

If a line contains EnablePreviewAll replace false with true.

edited Jun 22 '19 at 16:49

answered Jun 22 '19 at 12:29

potong

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It's actually working and false becomes true but it's not editing the file, it's editing the contents and show them to me on command line and the file doesn't change, – Basel Qarabash Jun 22 '19 at 12:55
@BaselQarabash: Take a look at GNU sed's option `-i`. See: `man sed` – Cyrus Jun 22 '19 at 13:05
It finally worked!! I just added -i to the code of @potong – Basel Qarabash Jun 22 '19 at 13:41

Sed command to edit an XML file doesn't work

1 Answers1