XOM API for Processing XML with Java

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

Michael Kay wrote:


> The JAXP 1.3 API also allows external functions to be bound, which might
> seem a little over the top. It depends what you are trying to achieve. Do
> you want your XPath engine to be usable, via this API, by a separate XSLT
> engine? In that case, you need to provide complete control over all aspects
> of context.

I forgot that one, but the answer's easy. User-definable extension 
functions will not be supported, just like variable binding.

No, I don't expect this API to be usable by a separate XSLT engine. This 
is just a simple little query language for XOM documents that saves some 
time writing a lot of nasty navigation code. It's not an all-singing, 
all-dancing XPath extravaganza!

> If you're going to have a second argument, I'd suggest you make it a Context
> argument that is extensible to support all possible aspects of the XPath
> context. In a single-shot interface this should combine the static and
> dynamic context; in a 2-stage compile/run interface you should distinguish
> the two.

I'll think about it, but the less I have to add to the public interface 
to support all this the happier I'll be.

--
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo AT metalab.unc.edu
XML in a Nutshell 3rd Edition Just Published!
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