How to read XML file in Java – (SAX Parser)
Posted on , Last modified : August 4, 2011
By mkyong
SAX parser is work differently with DOM parser, it either load any XML document into memory nor create any object representation of the XML document. Instead, the SAX parser use callback function (org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler) to informs clients of the XML document structure.
SAX Parser is faster and uses less memory than DOM parser.See following SAX callback methods :
- startDocument() and endDocument() – Method called at the start and end of an XML document.
- startElement() and endElement() – Method called at the start and end of a document element.
- characters() – Method called with the text contents in between the start and end tags of an XML document element.
1. XML file
Create a simple XML file.
<?xml version="1.0"?> <company> <staff> <firstname>yong</firstname> <lastname>mook kim</lastname> <nickname>mkyong</nickname> <salary>100000</salary> </staff> <staff> <firstname>low</firstname> <lastname>yin fong</lastname> <nickname>fong fong</nickname> <salary>200000</salary> </staff> </company>
2. Java file
Use SAX parser to parse the XML file.
import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser; import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory; import org.xml.sax.Attributes; import org.xml.sax.SAXException; import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler; public class ReadXMLFile { public static void main(String argv[]) { try { SAXParserFactory factory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance(); SAXParser saxParser = factory.newSAXParser(); DefaultHandler handler = new DefaultHandler() { boolean bfname = false; boolean blname = false; boolean bnname = false; boolean bsalary = false; public void startElement(String uri, String localName,String qName, Attributes attributes) throws SAXException { System.out.println("Start Element :" + qName); if (qName.equalsIgnoreCase("FIRSTNAME")) { bfname = true; } if (qName.equalsIgnoreCase("LASTNAME")) { blname = true; } if (qName.equalsIgnoreCase("NICKNAME")) { bnname = true; } if (qName.equalsIgnoreCase("SALARY")) { bsalary = true; } } public void endElement(String uri, String localName, String qName) throws SAXException { System.out.println("End Element :" + qName); } public void characters(char ch[], int start, int length) throws SAXException { if (bfname) { System.out.println("First Name : " + new String(ch, start, length)); bfname = false; } if (blname) { System.out.println("Last Name : " + new String(ch, start, length)); blname = false; } if (bnname) { System.out.println("Nick Name : " + new String(ch, start, length)); bnname = false; } if (bsalary) { System.out.println("Salary : " + new String(ch, start, length)); bsalary = false; } } }; saxParser.parse("c:\\file.xml", handler); } catch (Exception e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } }
Result
Start Element :company Start Element :staff Start Element :firstname First Name : yong End Element :firstname Start Element :lastname Last Name : mook kim End Element :lastname Start Element :nickname Nick Name : mkyong End Element :nickname Start Element :salary Salary : 100000 End Element :salary End Element :staff Start Element :staff Start Element :firstname First Name : low End Element :firstname Start Element :lastname Last Name : yin fong End Element :lastname Start Element :nickname Nick Name : fong fong End Element :nickname Start Element :salary Salary : 200000 End Element :salary End Element :staff End Element :company
Warning
This example may encounter exceptions for UTF-8 XML file, please read this article about how to read the XML “UTF-8″ file in SAX
This example may encounter exceptions for UTF-8 XML file, please read this article about how to read the XML “UTF-8″ file in SAX
Note
You may interest to read this How to read XML file in Java – (DOM Parser)
You may interest to read this How to read XML file in Java – (DOM Parser)
Here are some of my recommended Books
Bit lame I can’t edit that comment :P.
You can keep track of open/closed elements much more gracefully using a Map:
onEnd:
Nice guide!
Hi Monk,
StartElement is not getting called in my sample below code. You have any idea ?
public class ReadXMLFileUsingSAXParser {
String fname = null;
String lname = null;
String sal = null;
/**
* @param args
* @throws IOException
*/
public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
SAXParserFactory factory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
try {
SAXParser parser = factory.newSAXParser();
DefaultHandler handler = new DefaultHandler();
parser.parse(“src/main/resources/testSaxParser.xml”, handler);
} catch (ParserConfigurationException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (SAXException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
public void startElement(String uri, String localName, String qName, Attributes attributes) throws SAXException {
if (qName.equalsIgnoreCase(“firstname”)) {
fname = attributes.getValue(“firstname”);
System.out.println(“Firstname ” + fname);
}
}
}
I’ve tried the code, but i have a problem here.
The result is :
End Element :firstname
End Element :lastname
End Element :nickname
End Element :salary
End Element :staff
End Element :firstname
End Element :lastname
End Element :nickname
End Element :salary
End Element :staff
End Element :company
Why does it happen ???
Thanks
Hi.,
This is really helped me..Thanks a lot for gave me such a nice tutorial…
GREAT WEBSITE.. BEST AND SIMPLE EXAMPLE.
THNX
“SAX parser is work differently with DOM parser, it either load any XML document into memory nor create any object representation of the XML document.”
IT SHOULD BE NEITHER , NOT EITHER.
“it either load any XML document into memory nor create any object representation of the XML document. Instead”
Are u trying to say neither load any XML document into memory