XML::Grove and DOM Level One

XML::Grove is similar in concept to the ECMA Script Language Binding to DOM Level 1 Core (Appendix E of the DOM Recommendation).

<http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-DOM-Level-1/ecma-script-language-binding.html>

The ECMA Script Language Binding presents DOM properties as ECMA Script object properties. The same is true for XML::Grove, XML::Grove presents DOM properties as Perl blessed hashes.

The biggest difference between the ECMA Script Language Binding and XML::Grove is that XML::Grove uses a Perl hash for nodes, Perl arrays for NodeLists, Perl hashes for NamedNodeLists so those object classes don't exist in XML::Grove. Because those classes don't exist, you use ordinary Perl syntax for manipulating the DOM properties (lists and named node lists) instead of methods like `nextSibling()' or `replaceChild()'. Element attributes in XML::Grove are stored in Perl hashes; attribute types are available through the document object.

Another difference is that XML::Grove attempts to marry the PerlSAX and DOM naming so that less (no?) name-changing occurs between using PerlSAX interfaces and filters and DOM modules. Where conflicts occur, the PerlSAX naming is used.

XML::Grove uses a blessed hash for nodes, so the node type is available using Perl's `ref()' instead of using a `nodeType()' method and all class names are prefixed with `XML::Grove::'.

The following object descriptions are the most basic and common provided by many PerlSAX parsers. PerlSAX parsers often provide additional properties or objects, refer to your PerlSAX parser documentation for details.

Document Object Model Level 1 Core

Object XML::Grove::Document

Contents

The children of this object. This property is an array.

Entities

The entities declared in this document. This property is a hash of XML::Grove::Entity objects keyed by entity name.

Notations

The notations declared in this document. This property is a hash of XML::Grove::Notation objects keyed by notation name.

Object XML::Grove::Element

Name

The tag type name for this element. This property is a string.

Attributes

The attributes for this element. This property is a hash and it's hash values are strings (or arrays with some grove builders).

Contents

The children of this object. This property is an array of XML::Grove objects.

Object XML::Grove::Characters

Data

The text of the character data. This property is a string.

Object XML::Grove::Comment

Data

The text of the character data. This property is a string.

Object XML::Grove::CData

The CData object is called a CDATASection in DOM.

Data

The text of the character data. This property is a string.

Object XML::Grove::Notation

Name

The name of this notation. This property is a string.

SystemId

The system identifier of this notation. This property is a string.

PublicId

The public identifier of this notation. This property is a string.

Object XML::Grove::Entity

Name

The name of this entity. This property is a string.

SystemId

The system identifier of this notation. This property is a string.

PublicId

The public identifier of this notation. This property is a string.

Notation

The notation declared for this entity. This property is either the name of the notation as a string or an XML::Grove::Notation object.

Object XML::Grove::PI

The PI object is called a ProcessingInstruction in DOM.

Target

The target of the processing instruction. This property is a string.

Data

The text of the processing instruction. This property is a string.