fast-xml-parser vs xml2js vs express-xml-bodyparser vs body-parser-xml | XML Parsing and Body Parsing in Node.js Comparison

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

fast-xml-parser	29,936,947	2,788	568 kB	59	19 days ago	MIT
xml2js	22,149,000	4,947	3.44 MB	247	2 years ago	MIT
express-xml-bodyparser	103,807	69	-	13	9 years ago	MIT
body-parser-xml	47,339	37	16.4 kB	12	2 years ago	MIT

Performance

fast-xml-parser:
fast-xml-parser is designed for high performance and low memory usage. It is one of the fastest XML parsers available, making it ideal for applications that need to process large XML files or handle high-throughput scenarios.
xml2js:
xml2js provides good performance for most use cases, but it may not be as fast as fast-xml-parser, especially for large XML documents. Its performance is generally acceptable for applications that require rich parsing features.
express-xml-bodyparser:
express-xml-bodyparser is lightweight and performs well for parsing XML in real-time as it streams the data. It is efficient for handling typical XML payloads in web applications without significant overhead.
body-parser-xml:
body-parser-xml is built on top of body-parser, so its performance is similar to that of body-parser when handling XML data. It is suitable for small to medium-sized XML payloads but may not be optimized for very large files.

Streaming Support

fast-xml-parser:
fast-xml-parser supports both streaming and non-streaming parsing. It provides a streaming API that allows developers to process XML data in chunks, making it suitable for large files and memory-constrained environments.
xml2js:
xml2js supports streaming parsing through its SaxParser class, but it is primarily designed for non-streaming parsing. The streaming feature may not be as efficient as dedicated streaming parsers.
express-xml-bodyparser:
express-xml-bodyparser supports streaming parsing, which allows it to process XML data as it is received, reducing memory usage and making it more efficient for large payloads.
body-parser-xml:
body-parser-xml does not provide streaming support, as it reads the entire XML payload into memory before parsing. This can be a limitation for handling very large XML files.

Customization

fast-xml-parser:
fast-xml-parser offers extensive customization options, including support for configuring the parser, handling attributes, namespaces, and more. It is highly configurable, allowing developers to tailor the parsing process to their specific needs.
xml2js:
xml2js is highly customizable, allowing developers to configure how XML is parsed and serialized. It supports features like attribute handling, namespace processing, and provides options for customizing the output format.
express-xml-bodyparser:
express-xml-bodyparser provides some customization options, such as configuring the XML parser and handling errors, but it is designed to be simple and straightforward, with minimal configuration required.
body-parser-xml:
body-parser-xml offers limited customization options, as it is primarily focused on integrating XML parsing with the existing body-parser middleware. It does not provide extensive features for customizing the parsing process.

Code Example

fast-xml-parser:

Example of using fast-xml-parser for XML parsing:

const { XMLParser, XMLBuilder } = require('fast-xml-parser');

// Create a new XML parser
const parser = new XMLParser();

// Parse XML string to JSON
const xmlData = `<?xml version="1.0"?><note><to>Tove</to><from>Jani</from></note>`;
const jsonData = parser.parse(xmlData);
console.log('Parsed JSON Data:', jsonData);

// Create an XML builder
const builder = new XMLBuilder();

// Convert JSON back to XML
const xmlOutput = builder.build({ note: { to: 'Tove', from: 'Jani' } });
console.log('Generated XML:', xmlOutput);

This example demonstrates how to use fast-xml-parser to parse XML data and convert JSON back to XML.

xml2js:

Example of using xml2js for XML parsing:

const xml2js = require('xml2js');
const parser = new xml2js.Parser();
const builder = new xml2js.Builder();

const xmlData = `<?xml version="1.0"?><note><to>Tove</to><from>Jani</from></note>`;

// Parse XML to JSON
parser.parseString(xmlData, (err, result) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Parsed JSON:', result);

  // Convert JSON back to XML
  const xmlOutput = builder.buildObject(result);
  console.log('Generated XML:', xmlOutput);
});

This example shows how to parse XML data and convert JSON back to XML using xml2js.

express-xml-bodyparser:

Example of using express-xml-bodyparser in an Express application:

const express = require('express');
const xmlBodyParser = require('express-xml-bodyparser');

const app = express();

// Use express-xml-bodyparser middleware
app.use(xmlBodyParser());

app.post('/xml', (req, res) => {
  const xmlData = req.body;
  console.log('Parsed XML Data:', xmlData);
  res.send('XML data received');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});

This example shows how to use express-xml-bodyparser to parse XML data in an Express application with minimal setup.

body-parser-xml:

Example of using body-parser-xml in an Express application:

const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const bodyParserXml = require('body-parser-xml');

const app = express();

// Initialize body-parser-xml
bodyParserXml(bodyParser);

// Use body-parser to parse XML
app.use(bodyParser.xml({
  limit: '1MB', // Set limit for XML payload
  xmlParseOptions: { // Optional: Set XML parsing options
    normalize: true, // Normalize whitespace
    trim: true // Trim whitespace
  }
}));

app.post('/xml', (req, res) => {
  const xmlData = req.body;
  console.log('Parsed XML Data:', xmlData);
  res.send('XML data received');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});

This example demonstrates how to integrate body-parser-xml with the body-parser middleware to parse XML data in an Express application.

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