How to serialize an array to XML, using node names defined at runtime?

slartidan :

I want to serialize an array of POJOs into a custom XML-Format, in my spring boot application using Jackson. The node name child will be modified at runtime.

I already manage to create a root with one child like this:

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectWriter;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.ObjectNode;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.xml.XmlMapper;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Random;

class MyPojo {
    public int random = new Random().nextInt();

    public static void main(String[] args) throws JsonProcessingException {
        List<MyPojo> list = Arrays.asList(new MyPojo(), new MyPojo());
        XmlMapper mapper = new XmlMapper();
        final ObjectWriter writer = mapper.writer().withRootName("parent");
        ObjectNode node = mapper.createObjectNode();
        list.forEach(x -> node.putPOJO("child", x)); // <= does not work, replaces values instead of adding them
        String s = writer.writeValueAsString(node);
        System.out.println(s);
    }

}

I want it to output:

<parent>
    <child>
        <random>123</random>
    </child>
    <child>
        <random>234</random>
    </child>
</parent>

But the current code only outputs:

<parent>
    <child>
        <random>234</random>
    </child>
</parent>

How can I add several children and still keep my own node names?

Sharon Ben Asher :

You need to put an ArrayNode and add the children to it

OjectNode node = mapper.createObjectNode();
ArrayNode arrayNode = node.putArray("child");
list.forEach(x -> arrayNode.addPOJO(x));