NAME

       XML::SAX - Simple API for XML

SYNOPSIS

         use XML::SAX;

         # get a list of known parsers
         my $parsers = XML::SAX->parsers();

         # add/update a parser
         XML::SAX->add_parser(q(XML::SAX::PurePerl));

         # remove parser
         XML::SAX->remove_parser(q(XML::SAX::Foodelberry));

         # save parsers
         XML::SAX->save_parsers();

DESCRIPTION

       XML::SAX is a SAX parser access API for Perl. It includes classes and APIs required for
       implementing SAX drivers, along with a factory class for returning any SAX parser
       installed on the user's system.

USING A SAX2 PARSER

       The factory class is XML::SAX::ParserFactory. Please see the documentation of that module
       for how to instantiate a SAX parser: XML::SAX::ParserFactory. However if you don't want to
       load up another manual page, here's a short synopsis:

         use XML::SAX::ParserFactory;
         use XML::SAX::XYZHandler;
         my $handler = XML::SAX::XYZHandler->new();
         my $p = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->parser(Handler => $handler);
         $p->parse_uri("foo.xml");
         # or $p->parse_string("<foo/>") or $p->parse_file($fh);

       This will automatically load a SAX2 parser (defaulting to XML::SAX::PurePerl if no others
       are found) and return it to you.

       In order to learn how to use SAX to parse XML, you will need to read XML::SAX::Intro and
       for reference, XML::SAX::Specification.

WRITING A SAX2 PARSER

       The first thing to remember in writing a SAX2 parser is to subclass XML::SAX::Base. This
       will make your life infinitely easier, by providing a number of methods automagically for
       you. See XML::SAX::Base for more details.

       When writing a SAX2 parser that is compatible with XML::SAX, you need to inform XML::SAX
       of the presence of that driver when you install it.  In order to do that, XML::SAX
       contains methods for saving the fact that the parser exists on your system to a "INI"
       file, which is then loaded to determine which parsers are installed.

       The best way to do this is to follow these rules:

       •   Add XML::SAX as a prerequisite in Makefile.PL:

             WriteMakefile(
                 ...
                 PREREQ_PM => { 'XML::SAX' => 0 },
                 ...
             );

           Alternatively you may wish to check for it in other ways that will cause more than
           just a warning.

       •   Add the following code snippet to your Makefile.PL:

             sub MY::install {
               package MY;
               my $script = shift->SUPER::install(@_);
               if (ExtUtils::MakeMaker::prompt(
                 "Do you want to modify ParserDetails.ini?", 'Y')
                 =~ /^y/i) {
                 $script =~ s/install :: (.*)$/install :: $1 install_sax_driver/m;
                 $script .= <<"INSTALL";

             install_sax_driver :
             \t\@\$(PERL) -MXML::SAX -e "XML::SAX->add_parser(q(\$(NAME)))->save_parsers()"

             INSTALL
               }
               return $script;
             }

           Note that you should check the output of this - \$(NAME) will use the name of your
           distribution, which may not be exactly what you want. For example XML::LibXML has a
           driver called XML::LibXML::SAX::Generator, which is used in place of \$(NAME) in the
           above.

       •   Add an XML::SAX test:

           A test file should be added to your t/ directory containing something like the
           following:

             use Test;
             BEGIN { plan tests => 3 }
             use XML::SAX;
             use XML::SAX::PurePerl::DebugHandler;
             XML::SAX->add_parser(q(XML::SAX::MyDriver));
             local $XML::SAX::ParserPackage = 'XML::SAX::MyDriver';
             eval {
               my $handler = XML::SAX::PurePerl::DebugHandler->new();
               ok($handler);
               my $parser = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->parser(Handler => $handler);
               ok($parser);
               ok($parser->isa('XML::SAX::MyDriver');
               $parser->parse_string("<tag/>");
               ok($handler->{seen}{start_element});
             };

EXPORTS

       By default, XML::SAX exports nothing into the caller's namespace. However you can request
       the symbols "Namespaces" and "Validation" which are the URIs for those features, allowing
       an easier way to request those features via ParserFactory:

         use XML::SAX qw(Namespaces Validation);
         my $factory = XML::SAX::ParserFactory->new();
         $factory->require_feature(Namespaces);
         $factory->require_feature(Validation);
         my $parser = $factory->parser();

AUTHOR

       Current maintainer: Grant McLean, grantm@cpan.org

       Originally written by:

       Matt Sergeant, matt@sergeant.org

       Kip Hampton, khampton@totalcinema.com

       Robin Berjon, robin@knowscape.com

LICENSE

       This is free software, you may use it and distribute it under the same terms as Perl
       itself.

SEE ALSO

       XML::SAX::Base for writing SAX Filters and Parsers

       XML::SAX::PurePerl for an XML parser written in 100% pure perl.

       XML::SAX::Exception for details on exception handling