JAXP 1.4 Release Notes

This document contains installation instructions and other notes that may help you use this software library more effectively. For more information, see the JAXP Reference Implementation Project web site.

Note:
If you are reading this page online, this is the most current version of the release notes. If this page was downloaded as part of the release bundle, please see the JAXP Reference Implementation Project web site.

Feature Changes

An important technical change in JAXP 1.4 is the addition of the javax.xml.stream.* packages from StAX, the Streaming API for XML (JSR 173). With this addition, JAXP 1.4 now supports validation and transformation of documents with the streaming API. Since JAXP 1.4 is integrated in Java SE, StAX support is transparent on any system running the latest Java platform.

gMonth

JAXP 1.4 changed its XML Schema validation logic for gMonth to reflect the changes made in the XML Schema 1.0 Specification Errata: E2-12 Error. Specifically, it will now reject gMonths with a lexical representation of "--MM--" as invalid.

JAXP Specification Changes since 1.3

Refer to JAXP FAQ.

The following sections summarize the significant changes introduced in JAXP 1.4. For additional details, please see the appropriate JavaDoc.

1. Package javax.xml.datatype

1.1. Class DatatypeFactory

Changed DATATYPEFACTORY_IMPLEMENTATION_CLASS to com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.datatype.DatatypeFactoryImpl.
Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.

1.2. Class Duration

Return false if the argument to equals() is null instead of throwing NullPointerException.

1.3. Class XMLGregorianCalendar

Return false if the argument to equals() is null instead of throwing NullPointerException.

2. Package javax.xml.parsers

2.1. Class DocumentBuilderFactory

Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.

2.2. Class SAXParserFactory

Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.

3. Package javax.xml.stream

Added the javax.xml.stream package to support StAX. The package consists of the following interfaces:

EventFilter
Location
StreamFilter
XMLEventReader
XMLEventWriter
XMLReporter
XMLResolver
XMLStreamConstants
XMLStreamReader
XMLStreamWriter

Classes:

XMLEventFactory
XMLInputFactory
XMLOutputFactory

Exceptions:

XMLStreamException

And errors:

FactoryConfigurationError

4. Package javax.xml.stream.events

Added the javax.xml.stream.events package to support StAX. The package consists of the following interfaces:

Attribute
Characters
Comment
DTD
EndDocument
EndElement
EntityDeclaration
EntityReference
Namespace
NotationDeclaration
ProcessingInstruction
StartDocument
StartElement
XMLEvent

4.1. Package javax.xml.stream.util

Added the javax.xml.stream.util package to support StAX. The package consists of the following interfaces:

XMLEventAllocator
XMLEventConsumer

And classes:

EventReaderDelegate
StreamReaderDelegate

5. Package javax.xml.transform

5.1. Class ErrorListener

Clarified the semantics of fatalError().

5.2. Class Transformer

Clarified the semantics of getOutputProperty() with respect to properties that have not been set explicitly with either setOutputProperty() or xsl:output in the stylesheet.

5.3. Class TransformerFactory

Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.

5.4. Package javax.xml.transform.stax

Added the javax.xml.transform.stax package to support StAX. The package consists of the following interfaces:

TemplatesHandler
TransformerHandler

And classes:

StAXResult
StAXSource

6. Package javax.xml.validation

6.1. Class Schema

Clarified that the features set on the SchemaFactory should be passed to the Validator created with newValidator().
Clarified that the features set on the SchemaFactory should be passed to the ValidatorHandler created with newValidatorHandler().

6.2. Class SchemaFactory

Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.
Clarified that the features set on the SchemaFactory should be passed to the Schemas created with newSchema(). Included a note to implementors and developers about the subtleties associated with newSchema() in this context.
Clarified that the inputs to newSchema(Source[]) are expected to be XML documents or elements.
Updated documentation of setFeature() to clarify that the features set on the SchemaFactory should be passed to the Schemas created with this factory and by extension to the Validator and ValidatorHandlers created from that Schema.

6.3. Class SchemaFactoryLoader

The SchemaFactoryLoader class was created during the JAXP 1.3 development process. Shortly before JAXP 1.3 was finished, the factory mechanisms associated with validation were changed, and this class was removed. Unfortunately, the file was left in a repository and it slipped into the Java Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 API Specification.

Since the class can neither be added to JAXP 1.3 nor removed from the Java 5.0 API Specification due to backwards compatibility issues, it is being added to JAXP 1.4. The class is harmless and should not be used. It is being added simply to avoid the confusion that arises when developers notice that it's defined in the platform but not in JAXP.

Do not use this class.

6.4. Class TypeInfoProvider

Extended the semantics of getElementTypeInfo(), allowing it to be called from either the startElement event or the endElement event. This allows the API to support W3C XML Schema union types more usefully.

When W3C XML Schema validation is being performed, in the case where an element has a union type, the TypeInfo returned by a call to getElementTypeInfo() from the startElement event will be the union type. The TypeInfo returned by a call from the endElement event will be the actual member type used to validate the element.

6.5. Class Validator

The Validator may now accept Sources other than DOMSource and SAXSource; for example, StAXSource.
Clarified that the inputs to validate() are expected to be XML documents or elements.

7. Package javax.xml.xpath

7.1. Class XPath

Clarified that it is the XPathVariableResolver in effect at compile time that is used to resolve any variables that appear in the expression.

7.2. Class XPathFactory

Added newInstance(String, ClassLoader) method.

Java API for XML Processing Release Notes

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