---
id: pandas-read-xml
version: "0.3.1"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# pandas-read-xml — A tool to read XML files as pandas dataframes.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 495.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pandas_read_xml bridges the gap between XML's hierarchical structure and pandas' tabular format. It reads XML files and converts them into DataFrames by letting you specify the path to the root tag containing your data, similar to how pd.read_csv() works. The package also provides utilities to flatten nested structures and automatically separate what appear to be distinct relational tables from a single XML source.

The core use case is extracting structured data from XML without manual parsing. It handles common XML quirks—like inconsistent nesting across files from the same schema—through methods like auto_flatten() and auto_separate_tables(). However, the package has been archived since 2021 and receives no maintenance, so it is best suited for projects with stable XML schemas and no need for ongoing support.

Use it for:

- Extract tabular data from XML exports of relational databases where the schema is known but nesting is inconsistent.
- Convert XML API responses into pandas DataFrames for analysis without writing custom parsing code.
- Flatten deeply nested XML structures into separate normalized tables for data warehousing or ETL pipelines.
- Quickly prototype data pipelines that ingest XML files when pandas' native XML support is insufficient.
- Separate mixed-type nested elements in XML (lists vs. scalars) into distinct DataFrames automatically.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Converts XML files into pandas DataFrames, with tools to flatten nested structures and separate relational data from hierarchical XML sources.

Yes, if you have a specific XML-to-DataFrame conversion task and the current API matches your needs. The low install friction and permissive license make it a reasonable choice for one-off scripts or prototypes. No, if you need ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, or compatibility with future pandas versions—the package is archived and unmaintained since 2021. Consider alternatives or implement custom parsing if your XML handling is mission-critical.

## Install

pip install pandas-read-xml
uv add pandas-read-xml
poetry add pandas-read-xml

## Installing pandas-read-xml

Before you install: Low friction installation as a pure-Python wheel. However, the package is abandoned as of 2021 and has not been maintained for over three years; the repository is archived. Use only if the current API meets your needs without expectation of bug fixes or updates.

License in practice: MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe from a licensing standpoint for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pandas_read_xml

import pandas_read_xml as pdx
df = pdx.read_xml('file.xml', ['root', 'child', 'target_tag'])

Requires Python 3.6 or later; XML file path and correct tag hierarchy must be known in advance.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package handles modern XML schemas or edge cases introduced in recent pandas versions
- Compatibility with current versions of runtime dependencies (pyarrow, pandas, xmltodict, requests, urllib3)
- Performance characteristics on large or deeply nested XML files

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 495.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

read XML as dataframe, XML to pandas, parse XML data, flatten XML structure, XML data extraction, nested XML handling, XML relational tables, xml-parsing, data-wrangling, abandoned

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