Using XML data files

While CSV files provide a simple and compact format to represent data, XML files are more powerful and give more control over the loading process. For example, their filenames are not required to match the model to be loaded. This is because the XML format is much richer and more information regarding what to load can be provided through the XML elements inside the file.

We used XML data files in the previous chapters. The user interface components, such as the views and menu items, are, in fact, records that are stored in system models. The XML files in the modules are used to load these records into the instance database.

To showcase this, a second data file will be added to the library_app module, data/book_demo.xml, with the following content:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<odoo noupdate="1">
  <!-- Data to load -->
  <record model="res.partner" id="res_partner_huxley"> 
&...