findElement.py

#!/usr/bin/python
from xml.sax import make_parser
from xml.sax.handler import ContentHandler
import string, sys


def trim(text):
    return ' '.join(text.split())


class FindContent(ContentHandler):

    def __init__(self, name):
        self.toFind = name
        self.inElement = 0
        self.found = ''

    def startElement(self, name, attrs):
        self.found = ""
        if name == self.toFind:
            self.inElement = 1
        else:
            self.inElement = 0

    def characters(self, ch):
        if self.inElement:
            self.found = self.found + ch

    def endElement(self, name):
        if name == self.toFind:
            print(trim(self.found))


def find_elements(name):
    handler  = FindContent(name)
    parser = make_parser()
    parser.setContentHandler(handler)
    parser.parse(open('films.xml'))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    name = sys.argv[1]
    find_elements(name)