Quoting Samuel Cheung <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > I have a newbie question. What are the advantages/dis-advantages between > Digester vs xmlbean vs JAXB? My understanding is they convert XML file to > Java Class. Is that correct? > > If that is the case, shouldn't one use JAXB over xmlbean and Digester, since > JAXB is "standard"? > > Thanks for any feedback. >
Digester isn't in quite the same space as either XmlBeans or JAXB, although there are some overlaps. It was originally intended as a way to read configuration files in XML (it's used that way in both Tomcat and Struts), but it has proven to be an easy way to pull just the relevant bits of data out of an XML document, without having to understand the nuances of SAX-based XML parsing (which is what it does under the covers). Areas of difference include: * Digester doesn't try to synthesize bean classes for you by looking at a DTD or schema; it assumes you've done that already. * On the other hand, Digester doesn't care what implementation classes you are using for the beans, as long as the classes obey JavaBeans design principles. For example, the "set properties" rule will match up the attributes set on a particular XML element to corresponding JavaBeans properties, and call the setters (even doing type conversions for you), without having to know what the underlying class is. * Digester is primarily about firing rules when a particular pattern of nested elements occurs. Quite often, this is used to create object trees and populate JavaBeans properties (courtesy of several easy to use standard Rule implementations), but you're certainly not limited to this. * Digester is one-way (XML --> tree of Java objects), although you can use the companion Betwixt project to go the other way. Craig --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
