XOM API for Processing XML with Java

[Elliotte Rusty Harold <elharo AT metalab.unc.edu>]

At 2:25 PM +0000 11/10/03, Janek Bogucki wrote:

> Then you get this heirarchy:
>
> Serializer
>   |
>   + ConfigurableSerializer
>   |
>   + CanonicalXMLSerializer
>
> This is an improvement as the inappropriate setter methods do not 
> exist on CanonicalXMLSerializer
> and any method expecting a Serializer will not be surprised by 
> IllegalArgumentExceptions.

That makes some sense, but it's not like the methods in Serializer 
don't belong there; and I don't like adding excess classes to the 
core API. I think a lot of developers would end up either complaining 
about not having enough options in Serializer (if they don't notice 
ConfigurableSerializer) or complaining about having to always type 
"Configurable". I think prefer just the one Serializer class.

> An alternative would be to make Serializer and 
> CanonicalXMLSerializer immutable by setting all
> configuration via the constructor, possibly using a parameter object 
> to keep the API uncluttered.

There are two many different options to pass them all to one 
constructor, and a parameter object seems like an unnecessary extra 
class. Configuration is clearly part of the nature of the Serializer. 
I don't want to hide it off somewhere else. And especially if you do 
want to transmit multiple documents over the same stream, it's useful 
to be able to modify the Serializer.
--

  Elliotte Rusty Harold
  elharo AT metalab.unc.edu
  Effective XML (Addison-Wesley, 2003)
  http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/effectivexml
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D0321150406/ref%3Dnosim/cafeaulaitA