libjava/org/xml/sax/ContentHandler.java

// ContentHandler.java - handle main document content.
// Written by David Megginson, sax@megginson.com
// NO WARRANTY!  This class is in the public domain.

// $Id: ContentHandler.java,v 1.1 2000/10/02 02:43:16 sboag Exp $

package org.xml.sax;


/**
 * Receive notification of the logical content of a document.
 *
 * <blockquote>
 * <em>This module, both source code and documentation, is in the
 * Public Domain, and comes with <strong>NO WARRANTY</strong>.</em>
 * </blockquote>
 *
 * <p>This is the main interface that most SAX applications
 * implement: if the application needs to be informed of basic parsing 
 * events, it implements this interface and registers an instance with 
 * the SAX parser using the {@link org.xml.sax.XMLReader#setContentHandler 
 * setContentHandler} method.  The parser uses the instance to report 
 * basic document-related events like the start and end of elements 
 * and character data.</p>
 *
 * <p>The order of events in this interface is very important, and
 * mirrors the order of information in the document itself.  For
 * example, all of an element's content (character data, processing
 * instructions, and/or subelements) will appear, in order, between
 * the startElement event and the corresponding endElement event.</p>
 *
 * <p>This interface is similar to the now-deprecated SAX 1.0
 * DocumentHandler interface, but it adds support for Namespaces
 * and for reporting skipped entities (in non-validating XML
 * processors).</p>
 *
 * <p>Implementors should note that there is also a Java class
 * {@link java.net.ContentHandler ContentHandler} in the java.net
 * package; that means that it's probably a bad idea to do</p>
 *
 * <blockquote>
 * import java.net.*;
 * import org.xml.sax.*;
 * </blockquote>
 *
 * <p>In fact, "import ...*" is usually a sign of sloppy programming
 * anyway, so the user should consider this a feature rather than a
 * bug.</p>
 *
 * @since SAX 2.0
 * @author David Megginson, 
 *         <a href="mailto:sax@megginson.com">sax@megginson.com</a>
 * @version 2.0
 * @see org.xml.sax.XMLReader
 * @see org.xml.sax.DTDHandler
 * @see org.xml.sax.ErrorHandler
 */
public interface ContentHandler
{

    /**
     * Receive an object for locating the origin of SAX document events.
     *
     * <p>SAX parsers are strongly encouraged (though not absolutely
     * required) to supply a locator: if it does so, it must supply
     * the locator to the application by invoking this method before
     * invoking any of the other methods in the ContentHandler
     * interface.</p>
     *
     * <p>The locator allows the application to determine the end
     * position of any document-related event, even if the parser is
     * not reporting an error.  Typically, the application will
     * use this information for reporting its own errors (such as
     * character content that does not match an application's
     * business rules).  The information returned by the locator
     * is probably not sufficient for use with a search engine.</p>
     *
     * <p>Note that the locator will return correct information only
     * during the invocation of the events in this interface.  The
     * application should not attempt to use it at any other time.</p>
     *
     * @param locator An object that can return the location of
     *                any SAX document event.
     * @see org.xml.sax.Locator
     */
    public void setDocumentLocator (Locator locator);


    /**
     * Receive notification of the beginning of a document.
     *
     * <p>The SAX parser will invoke this method only once, before any
     * other methods in this interface or in {@link org.xml.sax.DTDHandler
     * DTDHandler} (except for {@link #setDocumentLocator 
     * setDocumentLocator}).</p>
     *
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     * @see #endDocument
     */
    public void startDocument ()
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of the end of a document.
     *
     * <p>The SAX parser will invoke this method only once, and it will
     * be the last method invoked during the parse.  The parser shall
     * not invoke this method until it has either abandoned parsing
     * (because of an unrecoverable error) or reached the end of
     * input.</p>
     *
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     * @see #startDocument
     */
    public void endDocument()
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Begin the scope of a prefix-URI Namespace mapping.
     *
     * <p>The information from this event is not necessary for
     * normal Namespace processing: the SAX XML reader will 
     * automatically replace prefixes for element and attribute
     * names when the <code>http://xml.org/sax/features/namespaces</code>
     * feature is <var>true</var> (the default).</p>
     *
     * <p>There are cases, however, when applications need to
     * use prefixes in character data or in attribute values,
     * where they cannot safely be expanded automatically; the
     * start/endPrefixMapping event supplies the information
     * to the application to expand prefixes in those contexts
     * itself, if necessary.</p>
     *
     * <p>Note that start/endPrefixMapping events are not
     * guaranteed to be properly nested relative to each-other:
     * all startPrefixMapping events will occur before the
     * corresponding {@link #startElement startElement} event, 
     * and all {@link #endPrefixMapping endPrefixMapping}
     * events will occur after the corresponding {@link #endElement
     * endElement} event, but their order is not otherwise 
     * guaranteed.</p>
     *
     * <p>There should never be start/endPrefixMapping events for the
     * "xml" prefix, since it is predeclared and immutable.</p>
     *
     * @param prefix The Namespace prefix being declared.
     * @param uri The Namespace URI the prefix is mapped to.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException The client may throw
     *            an exception during processing.
     * @see #endPrefixMapping
     * @see #startElement
     */
    public void startPrefixMapping (String prefix, String uri)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * End the scope of a prefix-URI mapping.
     *
     * <p>See {@link #startPrefixMapping startPrefixMapping} for 
     * details.  This event will always occur after the corresponding 
     * {@link #endElement endElement} event, but the order of 
     * {@link #endPrefixMapping endPrefixMapping} events is not otherwise
     * guaranteed.</p>
     *
     * @param prefix The prefix that was being mapping.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException The client may throw
     *            an exception during processing.
     * @see #startPrefixMapping
     * @see #endElement
     */
    public void endPrefixMapping (String prefix)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of the beginning of an element.
     *
     * <p>The Parser will invoke this method at the beginning of every
     * element in the XML document; there will be a corresponding
     * {@link #endElement endElement} event for every startElement event
     * (even when the element is empty). All of the element's content will be
     * reported, in order, before the corresponding endElement
     * event.</p>
     *
     * <p>This event allows up to three name components for each
     * element:</p>
     *
     * <ol>
     * <li>the Namespace URI;</li>
     * <li>the local name; and</li>
     * <li>the qualified (prefixed) name.</li>
     * </ol>
     *
     * <p>Any or all of these may be provided, depending on the
     * values of the <var>http://xml.org/sax/features/namespaces</var>
     * and the <var>http://xml.org/sax/features/namespace-prefixes</var>
     * properties:</p>
     *
     * <ul>
     * <li>the Namespace URI and local name are required when 
     * the namespaces property is <var>true</var> (the default), and are
     * optional when the namespaces property is <var>false</var> (if one is
     * specified, both must be);</li>
     * <li>the qualified name is required when the namespace-prefixes property
     * is <var>true</var>, and is optional when the namespace-prefixes property
     * is <var>false</var> (the default).</li>
     * </ul>
     *
     * <p>Note that the attribute list provided will contain only
     * attributes with explicit values (specified or defaulted):
     * #IMPLIED attributes will be omitted.  The attribute list
     * will contain attributes used for Namespace declarations
     * (xmlns* attributes) only if the
     * <code>http://xml.org/sax/features/namespace-prefixes</code>
     * property is true (it is false by default, and support for a 
     * true value is optional).</p>
     *
     * @param uri The Namespace URI, or the empty string if the
     *        element has no Namespace URI or if Namespace
     *        processing is not being performed.
     * @param localName The local name (without prefix), or the
     *        empty string if Namespace processing is not being
     *        performed.
     * @param qName The qualified name (with prefix), or the
     *        empty string if qualified names are not available.
     * @param atts The attributes attached to the element.  If
     *        there are no attributes, it shall be an empty
     *        Attributes object.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     * @see #endElement
     * @see org.xml.sax.Attributes
     */
    public void startElement (String namespaceURI, String localName,
			      String qName, Attributes atts)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of the end of an element.
     *
     * <p>The SAX parser will invoke this method at the end of every
     * element in the XML document; there will be a corresponding
     * {@link #startElement startElement} event for every endElement 
     * event (even when the element is empty).</p>
     *
     * <p>For information on the names, see startElement.</p>
     *
     * @param uri The Namespace URI, or the empty string if the
     *        element has no Namespace URI or if Namespace
     *        processing is not being performed.
     * @param localName The local name (without prefix), or the
     *        empty string if Namespace processing is not being
     *        performed.
     * @param qName The qualified XML 1.0 name (with prefix), or the
     *        empty string if qualified names are not available.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     */
    public void endElement (String namespaceURI, String localName,
			    String qName)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of character data.
     *
     * <p>The Parser will call this method to report each chunk of
     * character data.  SAX parsers may return all contiguous character
     * data in a single chunk, or they may split it into several
     * chunks; however, all of the characters in any single event
     * must come from the same external entity so that the Locator
     * provides useful information.</p>
     *
     * <p>The application must not attempt to read from the array
     * outside of the specified range.</p>
     *
     * <p>Note that some parsers will report whitespace in element
     * content using the {@link #ignorableWhitespace ignorableWhitespace}
     * method rather than this one (validating parsers <em>must</em> 
     * do so).</p>
     *
     * @param ch The characters from the XML document.
     * @param start The start position in the array.
     * @param length The number of characters to read from the array.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     * @see #ignorableWhitespace 
     * @see org.xml.sax.Locator
     */
    public void characters (char ch[], int start, int length)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of ignorable whitespace in element content.
     *
     * <p>Validating Parsers must use this method to report each chunk
     * of whitespace in element content (see the W3C XML 1.0 recommendation,
     * section 2.10): non-validating parsers may also use this method
     * if they are capable of parsing and using content models.</p>
     *
     * <p>SAX parsers may return all contiguous whitespace in a single
     * chunk, or they may split it into several chunks; however, all of
     * the characters in any single event must come from the same
     * external entity, so that the Locator provides useful
     * information.</p>
     *
     * <p>The application must not attempt to read from the array
     * outside of the specified range.</p>
     *
     * @param ch The characters from the XML document.
     * @param start The start position in the array.
     * @param length The number of characters to read from the array.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     * @see #characters
     */
    public void ignorableWhitespace (char ch[], int start, int length)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of a processing instruction.
     *
     * <p>The Parser will invoke this method once for each processing
     * instruction found: note that processing instructions may occur
     * before or after the main document element.</p>
     *
     * <p>A SAX parser must never report an XML declaration (XML 1.0,
     * section 2.8) or a text declaration (XML 1.0, section 4.3.1)
     * using this method.</p>
     *
     * @param target The processing instruction target.
     * @param data The processing instruction data, or null if
     *        none was supplied.  The data does not include any
     *        whitespace separating it from the target.
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     */
    public void processingInstruction (String target, String data)
	throws SAXException;


    /**
     * Receive notification of a skipped entity.
     *
     * <p>The Parser will invoke this method once for each entity
     * skipped.  Non-validating processors may skip entities if they
     * have not seen the declarations (because, for example, the
     * entity was declared in an external DTD subset).  All processors
     * may skip external entities, depending on the values of the
     * <code>http://xml.org/sax/features/external-general-entities</code>
     * and the
     * <code>http://xml.org/sax/features/external-parameter-entities</code>
     * properties.</p>
     *
     * @param name The name of the skipped entity.  If it is a 
     *        parameter entity, the name will begin with '%', and if
     *        it is the external DTD subset, it will be the string
     *        "[dtd]".
     * @exception org.xml.sax.SAXException Any SAX exception, possibly
     *            wrapping another exception.
     */
    public void skippedEntity (String name)
	throws SAXException;
}

// end of ContentHandler.java