How to parse an XML file with SAX (Simple API for XML) API?

If you want to parse an XML file with SAX (Simple API for XML), you can these suggestions privded below:

1. Use the factory class to create SAXParser object:

      SAXParserFactory f = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
      SAXParser p = f.newSAXParser();

2. Extend the DefaultHandler class to replace default event handlers with your logics:

• startElement() - Called when the parser finishes reading the starting tag of an XML element.
• endElement() - Called when the parser finishes reading the ending tag of an XML element.
• characters() - Called when the parser finishes reading a chunk of text content of an XML element.
• more...

3. Call the parse() method on the Parser object to parse an XML file with an object that has your own event handlers:

    p.parse(new File(args[0]), new SaxXmlParser());

Here is a complete example of parsing an XML file with SAX API, SaxXmlParser.java:

// Copyright (c) 2017 FYIcenter.com
import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory;
import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser;
import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler;
import org.xml.sax.Attributes;
import java.io.*;

public class SaxXmlParser extends DefaultHandler {
   static String dot = "............................................................";
   static int l = 0;
   public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
      SAXParserFactory f = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
      SAXParser p = f.newSAXParser();
      System.out.println("Parser class: "+p.getClass().getName());
    
    p.parse(new File(args[0]), new SaxXmlParser());
   }
   public void startElement(String uri, String lName, String qName, Attributes atts) {
      l++;
      System.out.print("\n"+dot.substring(0,l)+lName+qName);
   }
   public void endElement(String uri, String lName, String qName) {
      l--;
   }
   public void characters(char[] ch, int start, int length) {
      System.out.print("("+(new String(ch,start,length))+")");
   }
}

Compile and run the example program, SaxXmlParser.java:

>\fyicenter\jdk-1.8.0\bin\javac SaxXmlParser.java

>\fyicenter\jdk-1.8.0\bin\java SaxXmlParser UserCompact.xml

Parser class: com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl

.User
..ID(101)
..BirthDate(1970-01-01+00:01)
..Name(Frank Y. Ivy)
..Sex(  Male)

Here is the XML file, UserCompact.xml, used in the above example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<User><ID>101</ID><BirthDate>1970-01-01+00:01</BirthDate><Name>Frank Y. Ivy</Name><Sex>  Male</Sex></User>

⇒ SAX Parser for XML File with DTD

⇐ SaxClassInfo.java - SAX Implementation Class

⇑ Using XML SAX API with Apache Xerces

⇑⇑ FAQ for Apache Xerces XML Parser