How do I correctly iterate through xml using Java?

Question

I have an XML file starting:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<results>
    <result id="0001">
        <hometeam>
            <name>Dantooine Destroyers</name>
            <score>6</score>
        </hometeam>
        <awayteam>
            <name>Wayland Warriors</name>
            <score>0</score>
        </awayteam>
    </result>
    <result id="0002">
        <hometeam>
            <name>Dantooine Destroyers</name>
            <score>3</score>
        </hometeam>
        <awayteam>...

and in a java file:

if(event.isStartElement()){
    if(event.asStartElement().getName().getLocalPart().equals(HOME)){
        System.out.println("In hometeam"); // for testing purposes

        event = eventReader.nextEvent(); // I expect <name> element

        if(event.isStartElement()){ // <------------ FALSE
            if(event.asStartElement().getName().getLocalPart().equals(NAME)){....

I'd expect this if statement to be true for the <name> element but if I stick in a System.out.println(event.isStartElement()) I get FALSE....

Also event.getEventType() returns XMLEvent.CHARACTERS which I don't understand... Can anybody see why?

Feel free to make edits to tags/title and question if necessary.

Can't you use a framework instead of writing your own parser? I would use JAXB or XStream to let automatically generate Java objects. — Kai
– Kai, Commented Dec 19, 2011 at 13:26
I think he is using StAX (Streaming API for XML) based on SAX, hence the event-oriented code. — jjmontes
– jjmontes, Commented Dec 19, 2011 at 13:31

Konstantin Pribluda · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-19 13:38:40Z

1

Characters means that next part of XML are well - characters (in your case newline and indentation) - low level parser is unqualified to discardthem for you. it delivers just raw events. It's your work to proces structure correctly.

answered Dec 19, 2011 at 13:38

Konstantin Pribluda

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Comments

jjmontes · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-19 13:39:32Z

1

That .nextEvent() call is probably bringing in the whitespace between <hometeam> and <name>. Note that in XML, all character data between tags (even if it's whitespace or newlines) is also accessible from the API.

You can test this by printing the element.

You don't normally see that whitespace with DOM-based APIs (or you can easily ignore it) but with event-driven APIs (like SAX or StAX) you have to ignore it.

answered Dec 19, 2011 at 13:39

jjmontes

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