XML::SAX - Simple API for XML



NAME

XML::SAX - Simple API for XML


SYNOPSIS

  use XML::SAX;
  
  # get a list of known parsers
  my $parsers = XML::SAX->parsers();
  
  # add/update a parser
  XML::SAX->add_parser(q(XML::SAX::PurePerl));
  # remove parser
  XML::SAX->remove_parser(q(XML::SAX::Foodelberry));
  # save parsers
  XML::SAX->save_parsers();


DESCRIPTION

XML::SAX is a SAX parser access API for Perl. It includes classes and APIs required for implementing SAX drivers, along with a factory class for returning any SAX parser installed on the user's system.


USING A SAX2 PARSER

The factory class is XML::SAX::ParserFactory. Please see the documentation of that module for how to instantiate a SAX parser: the XML::SAX::ParserFactory manpage. However if you don't want to load up another manual page, here's a short synopsis:

  use XML::SAX::ParserFactory;
  use XML::SAX::XYZHandler;
  my $handler = XML::SAX::XYZHandler->new();
  my $p = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->parser(Handler => $handler);
  $p->parse_uri("foo.xml");
  # or $p->parse_string("<foo/>") or $p->parse_file($fh);

This will automatically load a SAX2 parser (defaulting to XML::SAX::PurePerl if no others are found) and return it to you.

In order to learn how to use SAX to parse XML, you will need to read the XML::SAX::Intro manpage and for reference, the XML::SAX::Specification manpage.


WRITING A SAX2 PARSER

The first thing to remember in writing a SAX2 parser is to subclass XML::SAX::Base. This will make your life infinitely easier, by providing a number of methods automagically for you. See the XML::SAX::Base manpage for more details.

When writing a SAX2 parser that is compatible with XML::SAX, you need to inform XML::SAX of the presence of that driver when you install it. In order to do that, XML::SAX contains methods for saving the fact that the parser exists on your system to a ``INI'' file, which is then loaded to determine which parsers are installed.

The best way to do this is to follow these rules:


EXPORTS

By default, XML::SAX exports nothing into the caller's namespace. However you can request the symbols Namespaces and Validation which are the URIs for those features, allowing an easier way to request those features via ParserFactory:

  use XML::SAX qw(Namespaces Validation);
  my $factory = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->new();
  $factory->require_feature(Namespaces);
  $factory->require_feature(Validation);
  my $parser = $factory->parser();


AUTHOR

Current maintainer: Grant McLean, grantm@cpan.org

Originally written by:

Matt Sergeant, matt@sergeant.org

Kip Hampton, khampton@totalcinema.com

Robin Berjon, robin@knowscape.com


LICENSE

This is free software, you may use it and distribute it under the same terms as Perl itself.


SEE ALSO

the XML::SAX::Base manpage for writing SAX Filters and Parsers

the XML::SAX::PurePerl manpage for an XML parser written in 100% pure perl.

the XML::SAX::Exception manpage for details on exception handling

 XML::SAX - Simple API for XML