Tests about size and isEmpty to check if a XML node is empty or not.

xmlslurper_size_vs_isempty.groovy

def root = new XmlSlurper().parseText("""<root>
<context>
<start_time>
   <value>[[COMPOSITION_DATE:::DATETIME]]</value>
  </start_time>
<setting>
<value>[[COMPOSITION_SETTING_VALUE:::STRING]]</value>
<defining_code>
  <terminology_id>
    <value>openehr</value>
  </terminology_id>
  <code_string>[[COMPOSITION_SETTING_CODE:::STRING]]</code_string>
</defining_code>
</setting>
</context>
</root>""")

def root2 = new XmlSlurper().parseText("""<root></root>""")

def root3 = new XmlSlurper().parseText("""<root><context></context></root>""")

def root4 = new XmlSlurper().parseText("""<root>
<context>
  <start_time></start_time>
</context>
</root>""")


println root.context.size()
println root2.context.size()
println root3.context.size()
println root4.context.size()

println root.context.isEmpty()
println root2.context.isEmpty()
println root3.context.isEmpty()
println root4.context.isEmpty()

println root.context.start_time.size()
println root2.context.start_time.size()
println root3.context.start_time.size()
println root4.context.start_time.size()

println root.context.start_time.isEmpty()
println root2.context.start_time.isEmpty()
println root3.context.start_time.isEmpty()
println root4.context.start_time.isEmpty()


println root.context.start_time.value.size()
println root2.context.start_time.value.size()
println root3.context.start_time.value.size()
println root4.context.start_time.value.size()

println root.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
println root2.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
println root3.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
println root4.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()


// performance size vs isEmpty

def start_time = System.currentTimeMillis()
for (int i = 0; i < 10000; i++)
{
  root.context.start_time.value.size()
  root2.context.start_time.value.size()
  root3.context.start_time.value.size()
  root4.context.start_time.value.size()
}
def end_time = System.currentTimeMillis()
println end_time - start_time

// --------------

start_time = System.currentTimeMillis()
for (int i = 0; i < 10000; i++)
{
  root.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
  root2.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
  root3.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
  root4.context.start_time.value.isEmpty()
}
end_time = System.currentTimeMillis()
println end_time - start_time