http://norman.walsh.name/2005/07/26/jaxp14 8 106 2005-07-26T11:01:25-04:00 $Date: 2005-09-11 10:27:02 -0400 (Sun, 11 Sep 2005) $ Norman Walsh 2005 Norman Walsh If you're into Java and XML, you've heard of JAXP, the Java API for XML Processing. We're working on JAXP 1.4, which is good to know, but more importantly, you can follow along at home if you're so inclined. As the Specification Lead, I should have posted this earlier (weeks earlier, in fact). Usually, when I fall this far behind, I just give up but (a) this is really cool and (b) I expect I reach a slightly different audience than the folks who've mentioned it before. If you're into Java and XML, you've no doubt heard of JAXP, the Java API for XML Processing. For the next release of Java, we're planning to publish JAXP 1.4, a maintenance release of JAXP 1.3 (JSR 206). The big technical change in 1.4 is the addition of the javax.xml.stream.* packages Like JAXP 1.3 before it, the schedule for JAXP 1.4 is highly constrained by the schedules of shipping products. We're a small tributary into a larger stream of code and we will deliver on time or else. Combine that with the fact that the XPath 2.0 and XSLT 2.0 work hasn't even gone to Candidate Recommendation yet and you can see why we aren't trying to do more in 1.4. But we'll get there as soon as possible. from StAX, the Streaming API for XML (JSR 173). This means the platform will now support validation or transformation of documents that you're accessing with the streaming API. (Having support in the platform means it'll work interoperably on any system running the latest Java: you won't have to install StAX yourself.) What I find even more exciting than the technical changes are the process changes. Using the resources of java.net, we've been able to make all of our development work more transparent. Unlike previous releases where the development team had an internal source code repository from which we published snapshots, for JAXP 1.4, the development repository is on java.net. Feel like checking out up-to-the minute sources from our reference implementation, go for it! (If you still want compiled snapshots, we've got those too.) To get to the repository, navigate to the jaxp Project and follow the links under Sources to join the jaxp-sources Project. You have to follow a click-through license to get there. Once you're an observer in jaxp-sources, you can checkout the sources and follow along at home.