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Java Forum / General / January 2008XML-based configuration files
Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based configuration files? I've gotten away from Properties files because I often need a simple data structure where 1) the values are hierarchical, 2) there can be more than one value for a given key, and 3) the order of the values is preserved. So I wrote my own little replacement for Properties that has those features, but I'm not happy with it. It would better to use something standard and off-the-shelf. Any suggestions? > Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based > configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > It would better to use something standard and off-the-shelf. Any > suggestions? The java.util.Properties class will read in properties in xml. I found this resource which I hope helps: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-tiger02254.html >> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based >> configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > found this resource which I hope helps: > http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-tiger02254.html It's positively *amazing* how useful Javadocs can be! I found this *incredible* reference about Properties and XML at <http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html> ! It goes into a little moredetail at <http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html#loadFromXML(java .io.InputStream)> and <http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html#storeToXML(java. io.OutputStream,%20java.lang.String)> and <http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/Properties.html#storeToXML(java. io.OutputStream,%20java.lang.String,%20java.lang.String)> It's a wonder how much information one can glean from the documentation!  SignatureLew >>> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based >>> configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > It's a wonder how much information one can glean from the documentation! The Properties object is unsuitable because it doesn't meet the requirements detailed above: hierarchical, multivalued, order-preserving. >>>> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based >>>> configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > The Properties object is unsuitable because it doesn't meet the > requirements detailed above: hierarchical, multivalued, order-preserving. Two out of three ain't bad. :-) SignatureLew >>>>> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based >>>>> configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Two out of three ain't bad. :-) Actually, properties sure can be hierarchical, using a dot notation as many practitioners do: upper=first,second,third,fourth upper.second=alpha,beta,gamma,delta,epsilon,omega upper.sibling=Mercury,Venus,Mars,Ceres,Charon upper.sibling.next=Oort,Spiral,Milky,Universe Put that in an XML format and Bob's your uncle. SignatureLew >I've gotten away from Properties files because I often need a >simple data structure where 1) the values are hierarchical, 2) >there can be more than one value for a given key, and In XML, multiple value per key are not actually allowed, this would be <example key=value key=value1 ...></example> They only might be simulated by direct subelements. In Unotal, they are allow directly, and would look like < &example key=value key=value1 ... > >3) the order of the values is preserved. In Unotal, it is not preserved, because all values are deemed to form a set. However, one can use a list of values as in < &example key=< value value1 >> This would preserve the sequence. The Java-Implementation of Unotal is available as a GPL library and is being described in http://www.purl.org/stefan_ram/pub/junotal_tutorial (To compile this library from the sources, currently about three occurences of »private« needs to be removed in the source as indicated by compiler error messages.) >> I've gotten away from Properties files because I often need a >> simple data structure where 1) the values are hierarchical, 2) [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > three occurences of »private« needs to be removed in the > source as indicated by compiler error messages.) Thanks. Unotal looks interesting. In my own class, I implement multiple values per key thusly: <mykey>myvalue0</mykey> <mykey>myvalue1</mykey> <mykey>myvalue2</mykey> Again, I'm not happy with this approach. Chris a écrit : > Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based > configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > It would better to use something standard and off-the-shelf. Any > suggestions? Perhaps you could use the xstream library, that bind automatically xml file with java objects. I think your three constraints should be respected with this usefull library >Chris a écrit : >> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >file with java objects. I think your three constraints should be >respected with this usefull library I hate all the XML configuration needed these days. If you can avoid xml it's a good thing. Sometimes you need XMLl. I agree, xstream is great for serializing/deserialing xml to Java. Eric >> Chris a écrit : >>> Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Eric Agreed. Configuration files are a necessary evil. EricF wrote: >> I hate all the XML configuration needed these days. If you can avoid >> xml it's a good thing. >> >> Sometimes you need XMLl. I agree, xstream is great for >> serializing/deserialing xml to Java. > Agreed. Configuration files are a necessary evil. Would you rather recode, recompile and redeploy your application each time there's a change? There is absolutely nothing "evil" about configuration files. It's their lack that would be evil. SignatureLew >> Agreed. Configuration files are a necessary evil. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > There is absolutely nothing "evil" about configuration files. It's > their lack that would be evil. I think Chris argumented from a coding-convenience point of view. External config options have to be retrieved and processed and kept in sync with the program. Hardcoding stuff often is more convenient, because you can "just do it". How about saying "Configuration files are a necessary PITA"? /W Chris wrote on 12.01.2008 23:17: > Does anyone have a nice utility class they use to read/write XML-based > configuration files? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > It would better to use something standard and off-the-shelf. Any > suggestions? I use XMLDecoder and XMLEncoder to write my (configuration) objects to an xml file. <http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/java/beans/XMLDecoder.html> <http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/java/beans/XMLEncoder.html> Thomas Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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