LibXML(3p)

NAME
XML::LibXML - Perl Binding for libxml2

SYNOPSIS
  use XML::LibXML;
  my $parser = XML::LibXML->new();

  my $doc = $parser->parse_string(<<'EOT');
  <some-xml/>
  EOT

  $Version_String = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION;
  $Version_ID = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION;
  $DLL_Version = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION;
  $libxmlnode = XML::LibXML->import_GDOME( $node, $deep );
  $gdomenode = XML::LibXML->export_GDOME( $node, $deep );

DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION
This module is an interface to the gnome libxml2 DOM and SAX parser and the DOM tree. It also provides an XML::XPath-like findnodes() interface, providing access to the XPath API in libxml2. The module is split into several packages which are not described in this section.

For further information, please check the following documentation:

XML::LibXML::Parser
    Parsing XML Files with XML::LibXML

XML::LibXML::DOM
    XML::LibXML DOM Implementation

XML::LibXML::SAX
    XML::LibXML direct SAX parser

XML::LibXML::Reader
    Reading XML with a pull-parser

XML::LibXML::Document
    XML::LibXML DOM Document Class

XML::LibXML::Node
    Abstract Base Class of XML::LibXML Nodes

XML::LibXML::Element
    XML::LibXML Class for Element Nodes

XML::LibXML::Text
    XML::LibXML Class for Text Nodes

XML::LibXML::Comment
    XML::LibXML Comment Nodes

XML::LibXML::CDATASection
    XML::LibXML Class for CDATA Sections

XML::LibXML::Attr
    XML::LibXML Attribute Class

XML::LibXML::DocumentFragment
    XML::LibXML's DOM L2 Document Fragment Implementation

XML::LibXML::Namespace
    XML::LibXML Namespace Implementation

XML::LibXML::PI
    XML::LibXML Processing Instructions

XML::LibXML::Dtd
    XML::LibXML DTD Support

XML::LibXML::RelaxNG
    XML::LibXML frontend for RelaxNG schema validation

XML::LibXML::Schema
    XML::LibXML frontend for W3C Schema schema validation

XML::LibXML::XPathContext
    API for evaluating XPath expressions

XML::LibXMLguts
    Internal of the Perl Layer for libxml2 (not done yet)

VERSION INFORMATION
Sometimes it is useful to figure out, for which version XML::LibXML was compiled for. In most cases this is for debugging or to check if a given installation meets all functionality for the package. The functions XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION and XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION provide this version information. Both functions simply pass through the values of the similar named macros of libxml2. Similarly, XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION returns the version of the (usually dynamically) linked libxml2.

XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION
      $Version_String = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION;

    Returns the version string of the libxml2 version XML::LibXML was compiled for. This will be "2.6.2" for "libxml2 2.6.2".

XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION
      $Version_ID = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION;

    Returns the version id of the libxml2 version XML::LibXML was compiled for. This will be "20602" for "libxml2 2.6.2". Don't mix this version id with $XML::LibXML::VERSION. The latter contains the version of XML::LibXML itself while the first contains the version of libxml2 XML::LibXML was compiled for.

XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION
      $DLL_Version = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION;

    Returns a version string of the libxml2 which is (usually dynamically) linked by XML::LibXML. This will be "20602" for libxml2 released as "2.6.2" and something like "20602-CVS2032" for a CVS build of libxml2.

    XML::LibXML issues a warning if the version of libxml2 dynamically linked to it is less than the version of libxml2 which it was compiled against.

RELATED MODULES
The modules described in this section are not part of the XML::LibXML package itself. As they support some additional features, they are mentioned here.

XML::LibXSLT
    XSLT Processor using libxslt and XML::LibXML

XML::LibXML::Common
    Common functions for XML::LibXML related Classes

XML::LibXML::Iterator
    XML::LibXML Implementation of the DOM Traversal Specification

XML::LIBXML AND XML::GDOME
Note: THE FUNCTIONS DESCRIBED HERE ARE STILL EXPERIMENTAL

Although both modules make use of libxml2's XML capabilities, the DOM implementation of both modules are not compatible. But still it is possible to exchange nodes from one DOM to the other. The concept of this exchange is pretty similar to the function cloneNode(): The particular node is copied on the low-level to the opposite DOM implementation.

Since the DOM implementations cannot coexist within one document, one is forced to copy each node that should be used. Because you are always keeping two nodes this may cause quite an impact on a machines memory usage.

XML::LibXML provides two functions to export or import GDOME nodes: import_GDOME() and export_GDOME(). Both function have two parameters: the node and a flag for recursive import. The flag works as in cloneNode().

The two functions allow to export and import XML::GDOME nodes explicitly, however, XML::LibXML allows also the transparent import of XML::GDOME nodes in functions such as appendChild(), insertAfter() and so on. While native nodes are automatically adopted in most functions XML::GDOME nodes are always cloned in advance. Thus if the original node is modified after the operation, the node in the XML::LibXML document will not have this information.

import_GDOME
      $libxmlnode = XML::LibXML->import_GDOME( $node, $deep );

    This clones an XML::GDOME node to a XML::LibXML node explicitly.

export_GDOME
      $gdomenode = XML::LibXML->export_GDOME( $node, $deep );

    Allows to clone an XML::LibXML node into a XML::GDOME node.

CONTACTS
For bug reports, please use the CPAN request tracker on http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=XML-LibXML

For suggestions etc., and other issues related to XML::LibXML you may use the perl XML mailing list (perl-xml@listserv.ActiveState.com), where most XML-related Perl modules are discussed. In case of problems you should check the archives of that list first. Many problems are already discussed there. You can find the list's archives and subscription options at http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Mail/Browse/Threaded/perl-xml.

AUTHORS
Matt Sergeant, Christian Glahn, Petr Pajas,

VERSION
1.64

COPYRIGHT
2001-2007, AxKit.com Ltd; 2002-2006 Christian Glahn; 2006-2007 Petr Pajas, All rights reserved.