XMLBeans

XMLBeans is a neat tool that helps you work with XML by connecting it to Java types. It gives you several cool ways to interact with XML, such as:

Accessing XML via Java Types

You can dive into XML schema that has been compiled to create Java types representing those schema types. This means you can access the data using JavaBeans-style methods like getFoo and setFoo.

Reflecting into XML Schema

The XMLBeans API also lets you look at the XML schema itself through an XML Schema Object model. This makes it easy to understand how your data is structured.

Navigating with Cursors

If you're feeling adventurous, there's a cursor model available too! You can use it to move through the entire XML infoset, giving you full control over your data.

Support for XML DOM

And don't worry if you're familiar with traditional methods; XMLBeans supports XML DOM as well.

Your First Steps with XMLBeans

If you’re ready to jump in and start working with your own XML schema and instance, here’s what you need to do:

1. Install XMLBeans.


2. Compile Your Schema:
   Use scomp to compile your schema and generate Java types. For example, if you want to create an employeeschema.jar, run this command:



scomp -out employeeschema.jar employeeschema.xsd



3. Write Your Code:
   Once you've got the generated JAR file on your classpath, you'll need some code to bind an instance of your XML data to those Java types. Here’s a quick example that uses types generated from an employee schema:



File xmlFile = new File(“c:employees.xml”);



// Bind the instance to the generated XMLBeans types.

EmployeesDocument empDoc = EmployeesDocument.Factory.parse(xmlFile);



// Get and print pieces of the XML instance.

Employees emps = empDoc.getEmployees();

Employee[] empArray = emps.getEmployeeArray();

for (int i = 0; i < empArray.length; i++) {

    System.out.println(empArray[i]);

}

What's New in This Release?

• Updated to the latest XMLSchema.xsd.


• Bumped up XmlBeans compatibility with SaxonB-8.6.1 instead of SaxonB8.1.


• XQuery external variable binding support added!