You can override the default rules for tag combination by setting the xml-combine attribute in tags of the last-read configuration file. xml-combine can be set to one of the following values:

Note: The xml-combine attribute is removed from the combined file.

replace

Only the tag in file2.xml is used; the tag in file1.xml is ignored. for example:

File1.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

File2.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe" xml-combine="replace">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

Result

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

remove

The tag is removed from the combined file. For example:

File1.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

File2.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe" xml-combine="remove"/>
</people>

Result

<people>
</people>

append

The contents of file2.xml’s tag are appended to the contents of file1.xml’s tag. For example:

File1.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

File2.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests xml-combine="append">
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

Result

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

Embedded tags are matched and combined recursively.

append-without-matching

Identical to xml-combine="append", except embedded tags are not matched and combined recursively. Tag content is simply appended.

prepend

The contents of file2.xml’s tag are prepended to the contents of file1.xml’s tag. For example:

File1.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

File2.xml

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests xml-combine="prepend">
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

Result

<people>
  <person name="joe">
    <interests>
      <interest interest="parenting"/>
      <interest interest="rollerblading"/>
      <interest interest="bass"/>
    </interests>
  </person>
</people>

Embedded tags are matched and combined recursively (see the Recursive Combination).

prepend-without-matching

Identical to prepend, except embedded tags are not matched and combined recursively. Tag content is simply prepended.