System and method for XML parsing

• US 20030159112A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fry, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 6,880,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149

Abstract

Broad XML support is obtained through use of a set of streaming parser APIs. An application or client needing access to an XML document can contact an XML parser, XML processor, or XML reader in order to gain access to the document. The XML processor selects and instantiates a streaming parser API that is appropriate for the XML document and the client or application. Streaming parser APIs include raw streaming parser APIs, non-validating streaming parser APIs, and validating streaming parser APIs. The XML parser can then provide a variety of types of access to the application or client that does not require the entire document to be read into memory, including providing an XML stream, pulling XML information, and skipping unwanted XML from the document.

Claims

1. A system for parsing an XML document, comprising:

a raw streaming parser API for providing non-validating access to an XML document;

a non-validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to provide access to an XML document;

a validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to validate and provide access to the XML document; and

means for selecting one of said raw streaming parser API, said non-validating streaming parser API, and said validating streaming parser API in order to provide access to, and parse, an XML document.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API provides the raw text of the XML document.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser provides non-cached access to the XML document.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API provides read-only access to the XML document.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API implements namespaces.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API enforces well-formedness of the XML document.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API can pull data from the XML document.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said raw streaming parser API can skip unwanted data in the XML document.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said non-validating streaming parser API reads information for the XML document from one of a DTD and XML schema.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said validating streaming parser API reads information for the XML document from one of a DTD and XML schema.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said validating streaming parser API does a streaming validation of the XML document.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said validating streaming parser API does not require the loading of the entire XML document into memory.

13. A system for parsing an XML document, comprising:

at least two streaming parser APIs selected from a raw streaming parser API for providing non-validating access to an XML document, a non-validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to provide access to an XML document, and a validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to validate and provide access to the XML document; and

means for selecting one of said streaming parser APIs in order to provide access to, and parse, an XML document.

14. A method for parsing an XML document, comprising:

receiving an XML document;

selecting a streaming parser API from a set of streaming parser APIs to provide access to, and parse, an XML document, the set of streaming API s containing at least two of a raw streaming parser API for providing non-validating access to an XML document, a non-validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to provide access to an XML document, and a validating streaming parser API for reading information for the XML document and using that information to validate and provide access to the XML document; and

processing the XML document using the selected streaming parser API.