How to convert <use> objects to normal paths?

Question

I have an Inkscape document which contains the following:

<g
   style="display:inline"
   transform="matrix(0.28222222,0,0,0.28222222,-1.5120399,-21.76013)">
  <g
     id="g23778-1">
    <g
       id="g23736-6">
      <path
         sodipodi:nodetypes="cc"
         inkscape:connector-curvature="0"
         id="original_arrow-1"
         d="M 9.8496517,80.58182 44.98671,107.79486"
         style="fill:none;fill-rule:evenodd;stroke:#000000;stroke-width:1px;stroke-linecap:butt;stroke-linejoin:miter;stroke-opacity:1;marker-start:url(#marker6739-6)" />
      <use
         height="100%"
         width="100%"
         transform="rotate(180,25.7009,97.1764)"
         id="use21664-0"
         xlink:href="#original_arrow-1"
         y="0"
         x="0" />
    </g>
    <use
       x="0"
       y="0"
       xlink:href="#g23736-6"
       id="use23776-9"
       transform="matrix(-1,0,0,1,51.401801,0)"
       width="100%"
       height="100%" />
  </g>
</g>

This results in the following image:

I omitted the marker from the code since it's not relevant. What I need now is to convert this <use> construct to actual four <path> arrows. How can I do it?

Answer 1

Each of the <use> elements are what Inkscape calls clones.

Open the XML editor, select each of the <use> objects, and press Alt-Shift-D (or Edit -> Clone -> Unlink clone).

This will replace each <use> reference by an actual copy of the path.

If you prefer, you can select the elements with the mouse instead of using the XML editor, but it is more clear in the XML editor which are the clones.