[Tasker] Remove timestamps from GPX files

[Tapio]

With the following Tasker task you can remove all timestamps from GPX files, a privacy option. Locus does only export GPX with timestamps.
Backup your files. It's not too thoroughly tested.

https://taskernet.com/shares/?user=AS35m8kdDIMDeveQcQfRglam%2Fah1mTW%2FWcg05FZ39c0i1q%2F77iY3E7cIwxCkXqJTaTA%3D&id=Task%3ARemoveTimestampsGPX

[Andrew Heard]

I see the main processing is done via the line

Code Select Expand

sed -i -z 's;[\s\t]*&lt;time&gt;[^&lt;]*&lt;/time&gt;[^&lt;]*;;g' '%file'</Str>
very clever. Thanks for sharing @tapio.

[ColdAutumn]

With the following Tasker task you can remove all timestamps from GPX files, a privacy option. Locus does only export GPX with timestamps.
Backup your files. It's not too thoroughly tested.

https://taskernet.com/shares/?user=AS35m8kdDIMDeveQcQfRglam%2Fah1mTW%2FWcg05FZ39c0i1q%2F77iY3E7cIwxCkXqJTaTA%3D&id=Task%3ARemoveTimestampsGPX

Do we need to install another app?
Sorry and many thanks.

[Tapio]

Yes, this is a Tasker script. Tasker is an Android automation app. Look for it in the PlayStore.

[lor74cas]

I see the main processing is done via the line

Code Select Expand

sed -i -z 's;[\s\t]*<time>[^<]*</time>[^<]*;;g'

Thx. Yeah, even if you're good at regex, sed is always tricky; it's especially the CRLF treatment of it, so I was happy about the -z option. Took me a while. The greedy matching of regex and multiple occurences of the same tags is also a thing always...
Just wanted to create a basic task. GPX files sometimes differ, e.g. some apps create a more flat output with nested xml tags and one trkpt per line...

Your next posting will be #1000

Hello tapio,
I am recently trying to improve my knowledge of regexp and I would like to understand a couple of things about your method.
You have chosen to replace the text with null instead of deleting the row, for what reason?
The search for the entire line containing the time tag would be done with:
^ \ s * <time. * / time> $
while you use
[\ s \ t] * <time> [^ <] * </time> [^ <] *
\ s should ensure that both spaces and tabs are captured
then I see that you wanted to exclude any internal and external tags with [^ <], but I have not found any gpx exported from locus with these characteristics.
Mine is not a criticism, I'm just trying to understand why you made these choices out of pure curiosity and desire to learn.

[Tapio]

Ugh, I need to look again. Just some related thoughts I hope:

a) I didn't only have Locus GPX in mind. Some other apps were in use as well, they create different xml formats. Replace with NULL? Do I leave an ugly empty line? May need to look at it again.
b) time xml tag may be stretched over multiple lines.
c) I think with the exclusion of the bracket I prevented greedy matching. Keep in mind Regex matches greedy. a.*b matches until the last "b": 1234abcdgebabbbgggchbdkj - i.e. in GPX it would match from first <time> until the last </time> it can find. This would effectively delete most of the gpx - this is also because sed -z in a way flattens the whole file to one line (otherwise, in the default line-by-line style of sed, regex wouldn't work for xml tag structures IMO)
d) As for the tab I probably was just lazy to look into docs, wasn't sure about it being included in \s, thanks for the info

[lor74cas]

Ugh, I need to look again. Just some related thoughts I hope:

a) I didn't only have Locus GPX in mind. Some other apps were in use as well, they create different xml formats. Replace with NULL? Do I leave an ugly empty line? May need to look at it again.
b) time xml tag may be stretched over multiple lines.
c) I think with the exclusion of the bracket I prevented greedy matching. Keep in mind Regex matches greedy. a.*b matches until the last "b": 1234abcdgebabbbgggchbdkj - i.e. in GPX it would match from first <time> until the last </time> it can find. This would effectively delete most of the gpx - this is also because sed -z in a way flattens the whole file to one line (otherwise, in the default line-by-line style of sed, regex wouldn't work for xml tag structures IMO)
d) As for the tab I probably was just lazy to look into docs, wasn't sure about it being included in \s, thanks for the info

a) I understand, I associate gpx with locus without thinking that there are other apps 
Replace with NULL? sed -i -z 's;[\s\t]*<time>[^<]*</time>[^<]*;;g' sed 's for substitution; regexp for search; text to replace with; g greedy operator' the null in this case is between ;;
b) do you have an example?
c) so you use this method because of the -z parameter, this part is also not clear to me, do you have a file example for which the -z parameter is needed?
Never using the -z parameter makes it harder for me to interpret your regexp, do you have an example file that made it necessary for you to use it?
d) Sometimes being a beginner like me is an advantage because without documentation you do nothing 

Thanks for the comprehensive answers, you are very kind as always

[Tapio]

b) As for the time tag, it is unlikely that it is spread over 3 lines. Just possible. It's just in oder to be safe. In another script, I delete trkpt tags. Those are most likely spread over multiple lines.
c) That's the point. -z kind of flattens to one line. Allowing analysis over (in the source) multiple lines. Usually sed operates per line. Then you can not match from xml tag start to xml tag end if tag start and tag end are in multiple lines.

[0709]

Learn & understand Tasker ?
Fine. Roger.

Remove gpx timestamps ?
Method:

Sync gpx files by dropbox.
Use the (pc) gpx editor.
Show trackpoints display.
Right click column timestamps.
Select remove timestamps.
Save the gpx file. Done.

[Tapio]

With this script I stay on Android and remove timestamps from all gpx files in a folder. Select dir, wait, done.

[0709]

Tasker ?  Fine. Roger

I don't use Tasker anyway.
Therefore this alternative.
Multiple choice is nice, isn't it?
That is all. Roger?