Java To XML Technologies

I am trying to find the most suitable Java to XML utility that will provide easy to read XML that defines a Java object. Here are some sample ones below:

1. XML Encoder

sample:

JFrame class

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<java version="1.0" class="java.beans.XMLDecoder">
<object class="javax.swing.JFrame">
<void property="name">
<string>frame1</string>
</void>
<void property="bounds">
<object class="java.awt.Rectangle">
<int>0</int>
<int>0</int>
<int>200</int>
<int>200</int>
</object>
</void>
<void property="contentPane">
<void method="add">
<object class="javax.swing.JButton">
<void property="label">
<string>Hello</string>
</void>
</object>
</void>
</void>
<void property="visible">
<boolean>true</boolean>
</void>
</object>
</java>
advantages:

• completely comprehensive
• part of the Java API
  

disadvantages:

• verbose

2. JSX - Java Serialization to XML

sample XML:
N/A

advantages:

disadvantages:

• not mature product
  
• not free
• no sample provided
  

3. XStream

sample:

Java:

public class Person {
private String firstname;
private String lastname;
private PhoneNumber phone;
private PhoneNumber fax;
// ... constructors and methods
}

public class PhoneNumber {
private int code;
private String number;
// ... constructors and methods
}

XML:

<person>
<firstname>Joe</firstname>
<lastname>Walnes</lastname>
<phone>
<code>123</code>
<number>1234-456</number>
</phone>
<fax>
<code>123</code>
<number>9999-999</number>
</fax>
</person>

advantages:

• no mappings required
  

disadvantages:

4. Castor

References: Java Boutique Tutorial: Java To XML and Back Again with Castor XML

sample:

Java:

private List myList = new ArrayList();

public void setMyList(List myList) {
this.myList = myList;
}

public List getMyList() {
return this.myList;
}

public Person(String name, String email, String phone, List myList) {
this.name = name;
this.email = email;
this.phone = phone;
this.myList = myList;
}

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<person>
<myList xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:type="java:java.util.String">
List#1
</myList>
<myList xsi:type="java:java.util.String">
List#2
</myList>
<email>prokhorenko@gmail.com</email>
<name>Olexandr Prokhorenko</name>
<phone>123-555-1234</phone>
</person>

advantages:

• comprehensive
• mature product
  

disadvantages:

• requires a mapping file

5. Java2XML

References: Java Boutique Tutorial: Java To XML and Back Again with Castor XML

sample:

Java:

public class HelloWorld
extends Thread
{
private int N;

private long sleep;

public HelloWorld(int N, long sleep)
{
this.N = N;
this.sleep = sleep;
}

public void run()
{
for (int i = 0; i < hw =" new"> XML:
<!-- Generated by Java2XML http://java2xml.dev.java.net/ -->
<java-source-program>
<java-class-file name="helloworld.java">
  <import module="java.util.*"/>
  <class name="HelloWorld" visibility="public">
      <superclass name="Thread"/>
      <field name="N" visibility="private">
<type primitive="true" name="int"/>
      </field>
      <field name="sleep" visibility="private">

          <type primitive="true" name="long"/>
      </field>
      <constructor visibility="public" name="HelloWorld">
          <formal-arguments>
              <formal-argument name="N">
                  <type primitive="true" name="int"/>
              </formal-argument>
              <formal-argument name="sleep">
                  <type primitive="true" name="long"/>

              </formal-argument>
          </formal-arguments>
          <assignment-expr op="=">
              <lvalue>
                  <field-access field="N">
                      <this/>
                  </field-access>
              </lvalue>
              <var-ref name="N"/>

          </assignment-expr>
          <assignment-expr op="=">
              <lvalue>
                  <field-access field="sleep">
                      <this/>
                  </field-access>
              </lvalue>
              <var-ref name="sleep"/>
          </assignment-expr>

      </constructor>
      <method name="run" visibility="public">
          <type name="void" primitive="true"/>
          <formal-arguments/>
          <block>
              <loop kind="for">
                  <init>
                      <local-variable name="i">
                          <type primitive="true" name="int"/>

                          <literal-number kind="interger" value="0"/>
                      </local-variable>
                  </init>
                  <test>
                      <binary-expr op="<">
                          <var-ref name="i"/>
                          <field-access field="N">
                              <this/>
                          </field-access>

                      </binary-expr>
                  </test>
                  <update>
                      <unary-expr op="++" post="true">
                          <var-ref name="i"/>
                      </unary-expr>
                  </update>
                  <block>
                      <send message="println">

                          <target>
                              <field-access field="out">
                                  <var-ref name="System"/>
                              </field-access>
                          </target>
                          <arguments>
                              <literal-string value=""Hello World""/>
                          </arguments>
                      </send>

                      <try>
                          <block>
                              <send message="sleep">
                                  <target>
                                      <var-ref name="Thread"/>
                                  </target>
                                  <arguments>
                                      <var-ref name="sleep"/>
                                  </arguments>

                              </send>
                          </block>
                          <catch>
                              <formal-argument name="e">
                                  <type name="InterruptedException"/>
                              </formal-argument>
                              <block>
                                  <send message="printStackTrace">
                                      <target>

                                          <var-ref name="e"/>
                                      </target>
                                      <arguments/>
                                  </send>
                              </block>
                          </catch>
                      </try>
                  </block>
              </loop>

          </block>
      </method>
      <method name="main" visibility="public" static="true">
          <type name="void" primitive="true"/>
          <formal-arguments>
              <formal-argument name="args">
                  <type name="String" dimensions="1"/>
              </formal-argument>
          </formal-arguments>

          <block>
              <local-variable name="hw">
                  <type name="HelloWorld"/>
                  <new>
                      <type name="HelloWorld"/>
                      <arguments>
                          <literal-number kind="interger" value="10"/>
                          <literal-number kind="interger" value="1000"/>
                      </arguments>

                  </new>
              </local-variable>
              <send message="start">
                  <target>
                      <var-ref name="hw"/>
                  </target>
                  <arguments/>
              </send>
          </block>

      </method>
  </class>
</java-class-file>
</java-source-program>
 advantages:
comprehensive
mature product
free

disadvantages:
complicated XML
6.  Jato

References: Javaworld Article: Jato: The new kid on the open source block

disadvatages:

• fairly new product
  

7.  JiBX

advantages

• 
  

disadvantages:

• requires binding file to define the XML