fastkml is a library to read, write and manipulate kml files. The aims are to keep it simple and fast (using lxml if available). Fast refers to the time you spend to write and read KML files as well as the time you spend to get aquainted to the library or to create KML objects. It provides a subset of KML and is aimed at documents that can be read from multiple clients such as openlayers and google maps rather than to give you all functionality that KML on google earth provides.

Geometries are handled as pygeoif or shapely (if installed) objects.

fastkml is continually tested with Travis CI

Tesselate, Extrude and Altitude Mode are assigned to a Geometry or Geometry collection (MultiGeometry). You cannot assign diffrent values of Tesselate, Extrude or Altitude Mode on parts of a MultiGeometry.

You can find more examples in the included tests.py file or in collective.geo.fastkml, here is a quick overview:

Example how to build a simple KML file

>>> from fastkml import kml
>>> from shapely.geometry import Point, LineString, Polygon
>>> k = kml.KML()
>>> ns = '{http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2}'
>>> d = kml.Document(ns, 'docid', 'doc name', 'doc description')
>>> f = kml.Folder(ns, 'fid', 'f name', 'f description')
>>> k.append(d)
>>> d.append(f)
>>> nf = kml.Folder(ns, 'nested-fid', 'nested f name', 'nested f description')
>>> f.append(nf)
>>> f2 = kml.Folder(ns, 'id2', 'name2', 'description2')
>>> d.append(f2)
>>> p = kml.Placemark(ns, 'id', 'name', 'description')
>>> p.geometry =  Polygon([(0, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (1, 0, 1)])
>>> f2.append(p)
>>> print k.to_string(prettyprint=True)
'<kml:kml xmlns:ns0="https://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
  <kml:Document id="docid">
    <kml:name>doc name</kml:name>
    <kml:description>doc description</kml:description>
    <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
    <kml:open>0</kml:open>
    <kml:Folder id="fid">
      <kml:name>f name</kml:name>
      <kml:description>f description</kml:description>
      <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
      <kml:open>0</kml:open>
      <kml:Folder id="nested-fid">
        <kml:name>nested f name</kml:name>
        <kml:description>nested f description</kml:description>
        <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
        <kml:open>0</kml:open>
      </kml:Folder>
    </kml:Folder>
    <kml:Folder id="id2">
      <kml:name>name2</kml:name>
      <kml:description>description2</kml:description>
      <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
      <kml:open>0</kml:open>
      <kml:Placemark id="id">
        <kml:name>name</kml:name>
        <kml:description>description</kml:description>
        <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
        <kml:open>0</kml:open>
        <kml:Polygon>
          <kml:outerBoundaryIs>
            <kml:LinearRing>
              <kml:coordinates>0.000000,0.000000,0.000000
              1.000000,1.000000,0.000000
              1.000000,0.000000,1.000000
              0.000000,0.000000,0.000000
              </kml:coordinates>
            </kml:LinearRing>
         </kml:outerBoundaryIs>
        </kml:Polygon>
      </kml:Placemark>
    </kml:Folder>
  </kml:Document>
</kml:kml>'

You can create a KML object by reading a KML file

>>> from fastkml import kml
>>> doc = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
... <kml xmlns="https://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
... <Document>
...   <name>Document.kml</name>
...   <open>1</open>
...   <Style id="exampleStyleDocument">
...     <LabelStyle>
...       <color>ff0000cc</color>
...     </LabelStyle>
...   </Style>
...   <Placemark>
...     <name>Document Feature 1</name>
...     <styleUrl>#exampleStyleDocument</styleUrl>
...     <Point>
...       <coordinates>-122.371,37.816,0</coordinates>
...     </Point>
...   </Placemark>
...   <Placemark>
...     <name>Document Feature 2</name>
...     <styleUrl>#exampleStyleDocument</styleUrl>
...     <Point>
...       <coordinates>-122.370,37.817,0</coordinates>
...     </Point>
...   </Placemark>
... </Document>
... </kml>"""
>>> k = kml.KML()
>>> k.from_string(doc)
>>> len(k.features())
1
>>> len(k.features()[0].features())
2
>>> k.features()[0].features()[1]
<fastkml.kml.Placemark object at 0x876a16c>
>>> k.features()[0].features()[1].description
>>> k.features()[0].features()[1].name
'Document Feature 2'
>>> k.features()[0].features()[1].name = "ANOTHER NAME"
>>> print k.to_string(prettyprint=True)
<kml:kml xmlns:ns0="https://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
  <kml:Document>
    <kml:name>Document.kml</kml:name>
    <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
    <kml:open>1</kml:open>
    <kml:Style id="exampleStyleDocument">
      <kml:LabelStyle>
        <kml:color>ff0000cc</kml:color>
        <kml:scale>1.0</kml:scale>
      </kml:LabelStyle>
    </kml:Style>
    <kml:Placemark>
      <kml:name>Document Feature 1</kml:name>
      <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
      <kml:open>0</kml:open>
      <kml:Point>
        <kml:coordinates>-122.371000,37.816000,0.000000</kml:coordinates>
      </kml:Point>
    </kml:Placemark>
    <kml:Placemark>
      <kml:name>ANOTHER NAME</kml:name>
      <kml:visibility>1</kml:visibility>
      <kml:open>0</kml:open>
      <kml:Point>
        <kml:coordinates>-122.370000,37.817000,0.000000</kml:coordinates>
      </kml:Point>
    </kml:Placemark>
  </kml:Document>
</kml:kml>