Re: annotations-based XML parsing for java?

Reinier Zwitserloot wrote:
> I'm not sure if this idea is new, but over the weekend I developed a
> rather simple to use XML parser that uses annotations and POJOs (plain
> old java objects) to directly load XML data into objects.

I haven't read through it in detail yet, but it looks like you've simply 
invented yet another data binding framework. Perhaps unique is that 
you've used annotations here, butn otherwise what does this do that 
several other databinding frameworks (JAXB, Castor, Zeus, etc.) don't?

According to the site, "MOX only works if you know the structure of the 
XML beforehand. However, unless you are writing some sort of XML editor, 
this is virtually always the case." I respectfully disagree, I routinely 
write code for systems the full structure of which is only determined 
reflectively at runtime. I even more commonly write code where the 
structure is only somewhat specified in advance.

The limitation you advertise is a common problem with data binding 
frameworks. They are very rigid and inflexible, and can't handle the 
extensibility of XML. Properly written DOM or SAX (or XOM) code does 
much better. XSLT does much better still.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  [email protected]
XML in a Nutshell 3rd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/xian3/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596007647/cafeaulaitA/ref=nosim