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Re: Xpath and DOM

• From: "Frank Boumphrey" <bckman@i...>
• To: "David Orchard" <orchard@p...>, "xml-dev" <xml-dev@i...>
• Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 15:58:44 -0500

<david>On one hand, I want an interoperable getElementByXPathExpr, but I
understand
the political and technical reasons why the DOM group isn't rushing to
implement it.</david>

It should be a simple enough matter to write such a function one self and
just call it! may be a week project for a student!(Hint!)

Frank

----- Original Message -----
From: David Orchard <orchard@p...>
To: xml-dev <xml-dev@i...>
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 1999 2:50 PM
Subject: RE: Xpath and DOM


> Leigh, I completely agree with you.  I have been in some discussions about
> this already so I'll try to relay what I've heard.
>
> About 6 weeks ago, I asked Lauren Wood about DOM implementing XPath.  My
> version of her answer is "Nobody asked for it for Level 2 or Level 3, and
> Level 2 is too late now.  Nobody volunteered to write it for the DOM
Spec".
> There's no technical reason why getElementByXPathExpr couldn't be added.
>
> I asked some of the other IBM XML standards reps about this and my version
> of their answer is "XPath is a query language, and we've got a better
query
> language coming.  Why support an inferior query language now when we'll
have
> to support the better one soon.  Additionally, why should the DOM be the
> bucket for all API gorp?  Query should be built on top of the DOM so we
can
> have layered parsers".
>
> On one hand, I want an interoperable getElementByXPathExpr, but I
understand
> the political and technical reasons why the DOM group isn't rushing to
> implement it.
>
> Cheers,
> Dave Orchard
> IBM Architect
> XLink co-editor
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-xml-dev@i... [mailto:owner-xml-dev@i...]On Behalf Of
> > Leigh Dodds
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 1999 5:32 AM
> > To: xml-dev
> > Subject: Xpath and DOM
> >
> >
> > At present the DOM spec only allows one to traverse the
> > tree 'manually' using getChild, etc. Or jump into the
> > tree at some point using getElementsByTagName.
> >
> > Theres nothing in there to allow me to do getElementsByExpression
> > (accepting an XPath search expression), or similarly pull out
> > sections of the DOM tree using XPath expressions.
> >
> > I've written basic utilities to do this, as have others I'm sure
> > (XSLT engines must use something similar), but I'm curious as to when,
or
> > even whether, this type of feature is going to be added to the
> > DOM API itself.
> >
> > It would seem to be pretty useful. In the applications I've built
> > so far, I've not wanted to traverse or walk the tree, just pick
> > out bits of it (and sure I could use SAX but I want the tree
> > in memory because I'm manipulating it multiple times).
> >
> > Unless I'm asking the wrong question - is there a tool that will
> > search a DOM tree for me, assuming I supply it with an XPath
> > expression.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > L.
> >
> > ==================================================================
> >     "Never Do With More, What Can Be Achieved With Less"
> > ---William of Occam
> > ==================================================================
> > Leigh Dodds                             Eml:  ldodds@i...
> > ingenta ltd                             Tel:  +44 1225 826619
> > BUCS Building, University of Bath       Fax:  +44 1225 826283
> >
> > eclectic http://weblogs.userland.com/eclectic
> > homepage http://www.bath.ac.uk/~ccslrd
> > ==================================================================
> >
> >
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• References:
  • RE: Xpath and DOM
    • From: "David Orchard" <orchard@p...>

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