Hi Joao, Castor does not support any changes to mapping information during marshaling. As you seam not to be able to define a entity class to XML tag mapping prior to invocation of the marshaler Castor can not be used for your application as is. To add such a dynamic mapping feature much more time would be required than you are able to spend.
Regards Ralf Am 10.05.2011 15:09, schrieb Joao Antunes: > > > 2011/5/9 Ralf Joachim <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > > Hi Joao, > > I do not know how much you know about Castor and if I understand > your requirements in all details. So let's start with a short > description of the 3 modes Castor supports for marshalling: > > 1. Introspection > Castor introspects the entities to be marshaled with reflection > and generates a default XML document. > > 2. Mapping > You pass a XML mapping file to Castor that contains information > how to marshal an entity. When loading the mapping Castor > internally generates descriptor instances that will hold the > mapping information and will be used at marshaling. > > 3. Code generation > You use Castor's code generator to create entities and > descriptors. The descriptors hold the information how an entity > has to be marshaled. > > As far as I understand your requirements the XML mapping file is > what fits best to your needs as the information how entities are > to be marshaled is provided at runtime. The only difference is, > that you do not want to provide a XML mapping file but instead > like to use your individual Annotations. > > Yes, kind of, I mean, it would be ok for me to make an XML mapping > file (as long as I could specify a 'rule' to apply to all classes > independently of their name), however, for what I understood, you > can't use your own individual annotations to catch fields in classes > and translate them to either XML location elements or plainly attributes. > > So, I would be ok with something like an XML mapping file that would > map every class and would add attributes/location tags depending on > the annotations i specified on the XML mapping. > > It would also be okay to implement this behaviour in Castor, but I > already had took a brief look at the FieldDescriptor class before > posting my resolution of "It seems that the way for me to go is to > use Castor marshaller and then get all of the annotations of the class > and iterate through the XML DOM to add the XML attributes" (by castor > marshaller I meant plain method 1. Introspection.) because I do not > know enough of the library for me to do it as easily as it would be to > do that. > > I'll be willing to refrain from this decision and actually implement > the behaviour if I get mentored. The kind of info I'm looking for is > something on the lines of: > > * How could I use a mix between the mapping file and the runtime > to specify the classes to marshal (instead of having to specify > the name attribute in the class element - if that isn't already > an option); > * What factory/class whatever takes care of handling the field > attributes in the mapping file, so, you would have to add > implement this class/change this class to make sure it would > grab your new field attribute called annotation... > > [ OR ] > > * How to alter the classes that do the introspection to catch my > specific annotations (although this method would have to be > generalized to allow a user to easily specify their own > annotations and the impact on the resulting XML so that: Castor > would benefit from this; I wouldn't be stuck with a patch in a > frozen in time library; I could enjoy the fun to give back to > the community, but that due to obvious objective constrictions I > can not do things like implement the JAXB annotations) > > So, if you guys feel like that would be a 'feature' worth the effort > of mentoring me to have on Castor, let me know what I would have to > do, and I'll let you know if I would do it (if i see that it takes a > week to do, guys, I'm sorry but I can't). > > Anyway, my offer is worth what it is, and at the end it might not have > worth nothing, but still, that's all i can give ATM. > > > Cheers > > If you could transform your individual Annotations into descriptor > instances and register them somehow at Castor, the result should > be something similar to what you need. Having said that Werner > knows this part of Castor much better than I do. > > Regards > Ralf > > > Am 09.05.2011 16:20, schrieb João Antunes: >> Hi Werner, >> >> answers below: >> >> *João Antunes* >> >> >> MsC in Communication Networks Engineering >> <https://fenix.ist.utl.pt/cursos/merc?locale=en_EN> at IST >> <http://www.ist.utl.pt/en/about-IST/> >> >> Web: http://web.ist.utl.pt/~joao.a.p.antunes >> <http://web.ist.utl.pt/%7Ejoao.a.p.antunes> >> >> E-mail: [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> >> LinkedIn: http://pt.linkedin.com/in/joaoapantunes >> >> >> *Instituto Superior Técnico - Centro de Informática/Direcção de >> Serviços de Informação* >> >> Software Engineer - FénixEDU team >> >> >> *Proud associate of **G3SI* <http://g3si.netai.net/index.php?lang=en> >> >> >> Em 09/05/11 14:31, Werner Guttmann escreveu: >>> Hi Joao, >>> >>> On 09.05.2011 09:05, João Antunes wrote: >>>> Hello! >>>> >>>> First of all, thanks for the contribute given to the O.S. community >>>> that >>>> the castor lib represents; also, please accept my apologies if an >>>> answer >>>> for this question already exists, meaning that I didn't search >>>> thoroughly enough for it. >>>> >>>> I was wondering if I can use Castor to map Annotations in >>>> fields/methods >>>> in Java to translate into XML location elements or XML attributes, >>> No, it does not have support for XML annotations. There used to be >>> active development on providing support for JAXB annotations, but that >>> died off ... and to my knowledge is not finished. >>> >>>> e.g.: >>>> -- >>>> Java file: >>>> [...] >>>> Class YPTO { >>>> @XPTOAnnotation{ yada } >>>> private String stringToPersist; >>>> public String getStringToPersist() { >>>> [...] >>>> >>>> into >>>> XML File: >>>> <YPTO> >>>> <stringToPersist >>>> XPTOAnnotation=yada>contentofthestring</stringToPersist> >>>> [...] >>>> or alternatively: >>>> >>>> <YPTO> >>>> <XPTOAnnotation yada> >>>> <stringToPersist>contentofthestring</stringToPersist> >>>> [or] >>>> <YPTO> >>>> <XPTOAnnotation> >>>> <yada> <!-- Or even without the YADA, I really don't need the details >>>> of >>>> the annotations --> >>>> <stringToPersist>contentofthestring</stringToPersist> >>>> [...] >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> As I could understand, the field element in the XML Mapping does not >>>> support the annotations. Is there any plugin/element that I missed to >>>> implement this? >>> No, you have not missed anything. >>> >>>> My end goal is to generate XHTML using XML which came from a JavaBean, >>>> the idea is to make a generic XSLT (or DVSL, whichever is easier [ I >>>> guess DSVL <http://velocity.apache.org/dvsl/devel/> will be easier, >>>> also >>>> if anyone has any comment about this, feel free to give a hint :)]) >>>> that >>>> will pickup on the hints provided on the bean on the form of >>>> annotations >>>> (I will use annotations because I guess that is the way to go here, but >>>> I can go with something else if it's easier to implement ) to render >>>> the >>>> XHTML using a predetermined 'XHTML template'. >>>> >>>> In case a plugin doesn't exist, any info on how I should do this? >>>> writing a plugin/patch to the lib to implement this behaviour might be >>>> what I end up doing, ... >>> Hmm, why not invest the time in trying to finish the support for the >>> JAXB annotations ? >>> >>> I guess that's not the answer you've been looking for (at least not >>> precisely), but let's see what you think of my answers. >> Because I'm not sure that JAXB annotations are what I need. >> Actually I just checked them and I think it wouldn't solve the >> problem I have. Also, quite bluntly speaking, I have a full stack >> of projects to work on, unfortunately even my O.S. library is >> being neglected ATM, so, sorry, no time for that. >> >> It seems that the way for me to go is to use Castor marshaller >> and then get all of the annotations of the class and iterate >> through the XML DOM to add the XML attributes. I'll post the >> solution as soon as I have implemented it for whomever who might >> be interested in doing something similar and runs into this thread. >> >> Cheers, >> João >>> Cheers >>> Werner >>> >>>> as long as it's less time consuming than the >>>> alternative which is to define a XSD and use JAXB and a generic >>>> algorithm to interpret beans [which castor already does] and its >>>> annotations [which is what it would be perfect if castor already did >>>> had :)]. >>>> >>>> Thanks in advance, >>>> João Antunes >>>> >>> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from this list, please visit: >>> >>> http://xircles.codehaus.org/manage_email >>> >>> >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from this list, please visit: >> >> http://xircles.codehaus.org/manage_email > > > -- > > Syscon Ingenieurbüro für Meß- und Datentechnik GmbH > Ralf Joachim > Raiffeisenstraße 11 > 72127 Kusterdingen > Germany > > Tel. +49 7071 3690 52 <tel:%2B49%207071%203690%2052> > Mobil: +49 173 9630135 <tel:%2B49%20173%209630135> > Fax +49 7071 3690 98 <tel:%2B49%207071%203690%2098> > > Internet: www.syscon.eu <http://www.syscon.eu> > E-Mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Sitz der Gesellschaft: D-72127 Kusterdingen > Registereintrag: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 382295 > Geschäftsleitung: Jens Joachim, Ralf Joachim > > -- Syscon Ingenieurbüro für Meß- und Datentechnik GmbH Ralf Joachim Raiffeisenstraße 11 72127 Kusterdingen Germany Tel. +49 7071 3690 52 Mobil: +49 173 9630135 Fax +49 7071 3690 98 Internet: www.syscon.eu E-Mail: [email protected] Sitz der Gesellschaft: D-72127 Kusterdingen Registereintrag: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 382295 Geschäftsleitung: Jens Joachim, Ralf Joachim
