NAME

XML::Doctype - A DTD object class

SYNOPSIS

   # To parse an external DTD at compile time, useful when
   # using XML::ValidWriter
   use XML::Doctype NAME => 'FooML', SYSTEM_ID => 'FooML.dtd' ;
   use XML::Doctype NAME => 'FooML', DTD_TEXT  => $dtd ;
   # Parsing at run-time
   $doctype = XML::Doctype->new( 'FooML', SYSTEM_ID => 'FooML.dtd' ) ;
   # or
   $doctype = XML::Doctype->new() ;
   $doctype->parse( 'FooML', 'FooML.dtd' ) ;
   # Saving the parsed object
   open( PM, ">FooML/DTD/v1_000.pm" ) or die $! ;
   print PM $doctype->as_pm( 'FooML::DTD::v1_000' ) ;
   # Using a saved parsed DTD
   use FooML::DTD::v1_000 ;
   $doctype = FooML::DTD::v1_000->new() ;

DESCRIPTION

This module parses DTDs and allows them to be saved as .pm files and reloaded. The ability to save and reload is intended to aid in packaging parsed DTDs with XML tools so that XML::Parser need not be installed.

STATUS

This module is alpha code. It's developed enough to support XML::ValidWriter, but need a lot of work. Some big things that are lacking are:

methods or objects to build / traverse the DTD
XML::Doctype::ELEMENT
XML::Doctype::ATTLIST
XML::Doctype::ENITITY

METHODS

new

   $doctype = XML::Doctype->new() ;
   $doctype = XML::Doctype->new( 'FooML', DTD_TEXT => $doctype_text ) ;
   $doctype = XML::Doctype->new( 'FooML', SYSTEM_ID => 'FooML.dtd' ) ;

name

   $name = $doctype->name() ;
   Sets/gets the name.

parse_dtd

   $doctype->parse_dtd( $name, $doctype_text ) ;
   $doctype->parse_dtd( $name, $doctype_text, 'internal' ) ;

Parses the text of a DTD from a scalar. $name is used to indicate the name of the DOCTYPE, and thus the root node.

The DTD is considered to be external unless the third parameter is TRUE.

parse_dtd_file

   $doctype->parse_dtd_file( $name, $system_id [, $public_id] ) ;
   $doctype->parse_dtd_file( $name, $system_id [, $public_id], 'internal' ) ;

Parses a DTD from a file. Eventually will support full URL syntax.

$public_id is ignored for now, and $system_id is used to locate the DTD.

This routine requires XML::Parser. XML::Parser is not loaded at any other time and is not needed to use the resulting DTD object.

The DTD is considered to be external unless the fourth parameter is TRUE.

   $doctype->parse_dtd_file( $name, $system_id, $p_id, 'internal' ) ;
   $doctype->parse_dtd_file( $name, $system_id, undef, 'internal' ) ;

system_id

   $system_id = $doctype->system_id() ;
   Sets/gets the system ID.

public_id

   $public_id = $doctype->public_id() ;
   Sets/gets the public_id.

element_decl

   $elt_decl = $doctype->element_decl( $name ) ;

Returns the XML::Doctype:Element object associated with $name. These can be defined by <!ELEMENT> tags or undefined, which can happen if they were just referred-to by <!ELEMENT> or <!ATTLIST> tags.

element_names

Returns an unsorted list of element names. This list includes names that are declared and undeclared (but referred to in element declarations or attribute definitions).

as_pm

   open( PM, "FooML/DTD/v1_001.pm" )            or die $! ;
   print PM $doctype->as_pm( 'FooML::DTD::v1_001' ) or die $! ;
   close PM                                     or die $! ;

Then, later:

   use FooML::DTD::v1_001 ;   # Do *not* use () as a parameter list!

Returns string containing the DTD as an independant module, allowing the DTD to be parsed in the development environment and shipped as Perl code, so that the target environment need not have XML::Parser installed.

This is useful for XML creation-only tools and as an efficiency tuning measure if you will be rereading the same set of DTDs over and over again.

import

use

   use XML::Doctype NAME => 'FooML', SYSTEM_ID => 'dtds/FooML.dtd' ;

import() constructs a default DTD object for the calling package so that XML::ValidWriter's functional interface can use it.

If XML::Doctype is subclassed, the subclasses' constructor is called with all parameters.

SUBCLASSING

This object uses the fields pragma, so you should use base and fields for any subclasses.

AUTHOR

Barrie Slaymaker <barries@slaysys.com>

COPYRIGHT

This module is licensed under your choice of the Artistic, BSD or General Public License.

POD ERRORS

Hey! The above document had some coding errors, which are explained below:

Around line 83:: '=item' outside of any '=over'
Around line 466:: You forgot a '=back' before '=head1'