Muggle
can you tell me how you are reading the xml file and converting the
objects in java?
I used Xpath.But the problem is you are using jdk1.4 and the package
javax.xml.xpath is with java5.Please see http://java.sun.com/developer/
technicalArticles/xml/validationxpath/.
Since you are already running the code so I am assuming you can query
the xml file.If you face problems please revert back.
=================================
Here's my logic:I am putting the details in a bean.Am storing the date
in a string array with constant width 2 as your xml file shows.But if
its changing then use growable arrays e.g Vector,ArrayList.
I am putting hobbies and food in a vector as those can change in
length.

I am pasting the code.See if it is of any help to you...........

The ouput was-->SELECT * FROM EMP
where name     like    Dav*
and DOB between     1960-01-01    and     1963-09-09
and hobby in'Dance','Soccer'
and food in'Beef','Fish'
and state =NY
******************************************************************************************
/*
* Created on Jan 31, 2007
 */
package help.Muggle;

import java.util.Vector;

/**
* @author Jboss
 */
public class Emp_Dtls {

    String name;
    String state;
    Vector hobbies;
    Vector Food;
    String[] dob;
    String[] another_Date;

    public Emp_Dtls() {
        hobbies = new Vector();
        Food = new Vector();
        dob = new String[2]; //since only 2 values From and To
        another_Date = new String[2]; //since only 2 values From and To
    }

    /**
    * @return String
    */
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    /**
    * @return String
    */
    public String getState() {
        return state;
    }

    /**
    * @param String
    */
    public void setName(String string) {
        name = string;
    }

    /**
    * @param string
    */
    public void setState(String string) {
        state = string;
    }

    public void populateDOB(String str1, String str2) {
        dob[0] = str1;
        dob[1] = str2;
    }

    public void populateAnother_Date(String str1, String str2) {
        another_Date[0] = str1;
        another_Date[1] = str2;
    }

    public void populateFood(String str) {
        Food.add(str);
    }

    public void populateHobbies(String str) {
        hobbies.add(str);
    }

}
/*
* Created on Jan 31, 2007
 */
package help.Muggle;

import javax.xml.xpath.XPath;
import javax.xml.xpath.XPathConstants;
import javax.xml.xpath.XPathExpressionException;
import javax.xml.xpath.XPathFactory;

import org.w3c.dom.Node;
import org.w3c.dom.NodeList;
import org.xml.sax.InputSource;

/**
* @author Jboss
 */
public class Test_Muggle {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Emp_Dtls empDtls = new Emp_Dtls();

        XPath xp = XPathFactory.newInstance().newXPath();

        InputSource inp = new InputSource("C:/Muggle/Request.xml");

        try {

            //store the name

            //XML query string
            String expr = "/Request/Name";
            String name =
                (String) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.STRING);
            System.out.print("\n name is " + name);
            empDtls.setName(name);

            // Store DOB

            //query String
            expr = "/Request/DOB/From";

            String dobFrom =
                (String) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.STRING);

            //query String
            expr = "/Request/DOB/To";
            String dobTo =
                (String) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.STRING);

            System.out.print("\n dob" + dobFrom + "\t" + dobTo);

            empDtls.populateDOB(dobFrom, dobTo);

            //Store Another date

            //repeat the above process

            //store Hobby

            //query
            expr = "/Request/Hobby/Value";

            NodeList hobbies =
                (NodeList) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.NODESET);
            System.out.print("\n size" + hobbies.getLength());

            for (int i = 0; i < hobbies.getLength(); i++) {
                Node currNode = hobbies.item(i);
                empDtls.populateHobbies(
                    currNode.getFirstChild().getNodeValue());
                System.out.print(
                    "\n val node" + currNode.getFirstChild().getNodeValue());
            }

            //store Food

            //            query
            expr = "/Request/Food/Value";

            NodeList food =
                (NodeList) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.NODESET);
            System.out.print("\n size" + food.getLength());

            for (int i = 0; i < food.getLength(); i++) {
                Node currNode = food.item(i);
                empDtls.populateFood(currNode.getFirstChild().getNodeValue());
                System.out.print(
                    "\n val node" + currNode.getFirstChild().getNodeValue());
            }

            //for state
            expr = "/Request/State";
            String state =
                (String) xp.evaluate(expr, inp, XPathConstants.STRING);
            System.out.print("\n" + state);
            empDtls.setState(state);

            String hobby_val = "";
            for (int i = 0; i < empDtls.hobbies.size(); i++) {
                hobby_val =hobby_val+"'"+   empDtls.hobbies.get(i) +"'"+ ",";
            }
            hobby_val = hobby_val.substring(0, hobby_val.length()-1);

            String food_val = "";
            for (int i = 0; i < empDtls.Food.size(); i++) {
                food_val = food_val +"'"+ empDtls.Food.get(i) +"'"+ ",";
            }
            food_val = food_val.substring(0, food_val.length()-1);

            // now form the string

            String operator = name.contains("*") ? "like" : "=";
            String appnd1 = "\r where name \t" + operator +
"\t"+empDtls.getName();
            String appnd2 =
                "\r and DOB between \t"
                    + empDtls.dob[0]
                    + "\t and \t"
                    + empDtls.dob[1];
            String appnd3 = "\r and hobby in" + hobby_val;
            String appnd4 = "\r and food in" + food_val;
            String appnd5 = "\r and state =" + state;
            String sql =
                "SELECT * FROM EMP "
                    + appnd1
                    + appnd2
                    + appnd3
                    + appnd4
                    + appnd5;

            System.out.print("\n sql" + sql);

        } catch (XPathExpressionException e) {
            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

I'm not irritated either. The advice was to help, not express irritation.

- Lew

Are you really, really old? Two spaces are recommended for people
using monospaced typewriters or, possibly, to help with dyslexia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop#Spacing_after_full_stop>