Validation from XML to a Python data struct

[bjones1]

I found https://pydantic-xml.readthedocs.io/en/latest/, which allows us to define a data struct (a class) in Python, then read and validate XML into it. This seems like an easy way to load in various XML config files for the CLI.

From the docs:

The following model fields binding:

class Product(BaseXmlModel):
    status: Literal['running', 'development'] = attr()  # extracted from the 'status' attribute
    launched: Optional[int] = attr()  # extracted from the 'launched' attribute
    title: str  # extracted from the element text


class Company(BaseXmlModel):
    trade_name: str = attr(name='trade-name')  # extracted from the 'trade-name' attribute
    website: HttpUrl = element()  # extracted from the 'website' element text
    products: List[Product] = element(tag='product')  # extracted from the 'website' element

defines the XML document:

<Company trade-name="SpaceX">
    <website>https://www.spacex.com</website>
    <product status="running" launched="2013">Several launch vehicles</product>
    <product status="running" launched="2019">Starlink</product>
    <product status="development">Starship</product>
</Company>

[StevenClontz]

N.B. this is happening at #464