phpman > perldoc > XML::SAX(3pm)

NAME
    XML::SAX - Simple API for XML

SYNOPSIS
      use XML::SAX;

      # get a list of known parsers
      my $parsers = XML::SAX->parsers();

      # add/update a parser
      XML::SAX->add_parser(q(XML::SAX::PurePerl));

      # remove parser
      XML::SAX->remove_parser(q(XML::SAX::Foodelberry));

      # save parsers
      XML::SAX->save_parsers();

DESCRIPTION
    XML::SAX is a SAX parser access API for Perl. It includes classes and APIs required for
    implementing SAX drivers, along with a factory class for returning any SAX parser installed on
    the user's system.

USING A SAX2 PARSER
    The factory class is XML::SAX::ParserFactory. Please see the documentation of that module for
    how to instantiate a SAX parser: XML::SAX::ParserFactory. However if you don't want to load up
    another manual page, here's a short synopsis:

      use XML::SAX::ParserFactory;
      use XML::SAX::XYZHandler;
      my $handler = XML::SAX::XYZHandler->new();
      my $p = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->parser(Handler => $handler);
      $p->parse_uri("foo.xml");
      # or $p->parse_string("<foo/>") or $p->parse_file($fh);

    This will automatically load a SAX2 parser (defaulting to XML::SAX::PurePerl if no others are
    found) and return it to you.

    In order to learn how to use SAX to parse XML, you will need to read XML::SAX::Intro and for
    reference, XML::SAX::Specification.

WRITING A SAX2 PARSER
    The first thing to remember in writing a SAX2 parser is to subclass XML::SAX::Base. This will
    make your life infinitely easier, by providing a number of methods automagically for you. See
    XML::SAX::Base for more details.

    When writing a SAX2 parser that is compatible with XML::SAX, you need to inform XML::SAX of the
    presence of that driver when you install it. In order to do that, XML::SAX contains methods for
    saving the fact that the parser exists on your system to a "INI" file, which is then loaded to
    determine which parsers are installed.

    The best way to do this is to follow these rules:

    *   Add XML::SAX as a prerequisite in Makefile.PL:

          WriteMakefile(
              ...
              PREREQ_PM => { 'XML::SAX' => 0 },
              ...
          );

        Alternatively you may wish to check for it in other ways that will cause more than just a
        warning.

    *   Add the following code snippet to your Makefile.PL:

          sub MY::install {
            package MY;
            my $script = shift->SUPER::install(@_);
            if (ExtUtils::MakeMaker::prompt(
              "Do you want to modify ParserDetails.ini?", 'Y')
              =~ /^y/i) {
              $script =~ s/install :: (.*)$/install :: $1 install_sax_driver/m;
              $script .= <<"INSTALL";

          install_sax_driver :
          \t\@\$(PERL) -MXML::SAX -e "XML::SAX->add_parser(q(\$(NAME)))->save_parsers()"

          INSTALL
            }
            return $script;
          }

        Note that you should check the output of this - \$(NAME) will use the name of your
        distribution, which may not be exactly what you want. For example XML::LibXML has a driver
        called XML::LibXML::SAX::Generator, which is used in place of \$(NAME) in the above.

    *   Add an XML::SAX test:

        A test file should be added to your t/ directory containing something like the following:

          use Test;
          BEGIN { plan tests => 3 }
          use XML::SAX;
          use XML::SAX::PurePerl::DebugHandler;
          XML::SAX->add_parser(q(XML::SAX::MyDriver));
          local $XML::SAX::ParserPackage = 'XML::SAX::MyDriver';
          eval {
            my $handler = XML::SAX::PurePerl::DebugHandler->new();
            ok($handler);
            my $parser = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->parser(Handler => $handler);
            ok($parser);
            ok($parser->isa('XML::SAX::MyDriver');
            $parser->parse_string("<tag/>");
            ok($handler->{seen}{start_element});
          };

EXPORTS
    By default, XML::SAX exports nothing into the caller's namespace. However you can request the
    symbols "Namespaces" and "Validation" which are the URIs for those features, allowing an easier
    way to request those features via ParserFactory:

      use XML::SAX qw(Namespaces Validation);
      my $factory = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->new();
      $factory->require_feature(Namespaces);
      $factory->require_feature(Validation);
      my $parser = $factory->parser();

AUTHOR
    Current maintainer: Grant McLean, grantm AT cpan.org

    Originally written by:

    Matt Sergeant, matt AT sergeant.org

    Kip Hampton, khampton AT totalcinema.com

    Robin Berjon, robin AT knowscape.com

LICENSE
    This is free software, you may use it and distribute it under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO
    XML::SAX::Base for writing SAX Filters and Parsers

    XML::SAX::PurePerl for an XML parser written in 100% pure perl.

    XML::SAX::Exception for details on exception handling