Loading xml in non-binary tree - c++

Question

I have created non-binary tree in order to load xml data in it and be used later for dialogue system.I want to implement the dialogue systems like in fallout where every answer can contain 4 different nodes with another answers.So far i created xml with the sentences
<Dialogue>
<Node>Hello,what do you want?</Node>
<Leaf>Nothing</Leaf>
<Leaf>Really?</Leaf>
<Branch>
<Node>Really?</Node>
<Leaf>Yes></Leaf>
<Branch>
<Node>No</Node>
<Leaf>Why not?</Leaf>
</Branch>
</Branch>
</Dialogue>
here node in the tree in c++ is represented as parent Leafs are child and below first branch node is child of the upper node.I find difficultis to load the xml data in tree with this structure so do you have ideas for better structures?

Answer 1

With your current structure of XML, you'll find it tricky to implement this, I'll suggest one option..
<Dialogue>
<Node id="root">
<Prompt>Hello,what do you want?</Prompt>
<Response>
<match>Nothing</match>
<Branch node_id="nothing"/>
</Response>
: <!-- more Response nodes -->
</Node>
<Node id="nothing">
<Prompt>Really?</Prompt>
<Response>
<match>Yes</match>
<Branch node_id="nothing.yes"/>
</Response>
<Response>
<match>Actually...</match>
<Branch node_id="nothing.actually"/>
</Response>
</Node>
<Node id="nothing.yes">
<Prompt>Why not?</Prompt>
: <!-- Response Nodes -->
</Node>
<Node id="nothing.actually">
<Prompt>Okay, what then?</Prompt>
: <!-- Response Nodes -->
</Node>
</Dialogue>
In reality, with this type of data, you need a map to store each "Node", where a Node is a prompt with a set of responses (the key to the map is the id of Node - which you have to guarantee as being unique. Depending on which response matches, you can then then find the node in the map and hand control to that etc. Probably a little easier to deal with than a tree? Also give you the possibility of re-using states... NOTE: the XML above is really verbose, you can trim it down with attributes, my intention was to simply get the idea across...
It's an option to consider I guess...