Parse XML file for attribute from batch file

I am parsing a XML file like below:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
-->
<configuration>
<settings>
<connections>
<connection name="name1" value="connection1" type="abc"/>
<connection name="name2" value="connection2" type="def"/>
</connections>
</settings>
</configuration>

From the batch file, I prompt the user for connection name. I want to parse the XML get a connection with the specified name and get its value. So If user gives name1, I want to select connection1. I had the below code from

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I am not familiar with for loop in (especially delimits, tokens) batch file, so I am not sure how this works and how to make it work for me.

(for /F "tokens=1,2 delims== " %%a in (connection.config) do (
if "%%~b" neq "" set %%a=%%~b
if /I "!name!" equ "%name%" echo !value!
))

It works, if you use the right tokens and delimiters:

@echo off&setlocal
for /F tokens^=2^,3^,5delims^=^<^"^= %%a in (connection.config) do (
if "%%a" equ "connection name" echo(%%b %%c
)

Output is:

name1 connection1
name2 connection2

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "name=name1"
SET "connection="
SET "type="

for /F "tokens=5,7delims==/ " %%a in (
'findstr /c:"<connection name=\"%name%\"" ^<connection.config'
) do SET connection=%%~a&SET type=%%~b

ECHO connection=%connection%
ECHO TYPE =%type%

Finding the data line which contains the literal string "<connection name=\"%name%\"" (where `\"` escapes `"`) then set connection to the 5th (and type for good measure) from the seventh token of the data line

<connection name="name1" value="connection1" type="abc"/>

using `=`, `/` and `[space]` as delimiters.

Here's the [**xpath.bat**][1] -small script that will allow you to get a xml values by xpath expression without using external binaries:

call xpath.bat "connection.config" "//connection/@name"
call xpath.bat "connection.config" "//connection/@value"

to assign this to a variable:

for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%# in ('xpath.bat "connection.config" "//connection/@value"') do set "connection_value=%%#"
echo %connection_value%

[1]:

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