Parsing XML file list elements with Simple XML in Android

Question

I need to parse a large xml file with SImple XML, (I really want to use Simple XML). I created objects with XSD, converted them from JAXB specific to SimpleXML specific adnotated objects.

The XML looks like this:

    <House>
      <MainLevel Name="~#editRoom" IsHidden="false">
        <ChildLevel Name="Television" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Chair" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Table">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="ChamberName" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
          <ChildLevel Name="ChamberName" Category="Bathroom">
          <string>BathTub</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Door", Category="DiningRoom">
          <boolean>isOpen</boolean>
        </ChildLevel>
     </MainLevel>
    <MainLevel Name="~#editRoom" IsHidden="false">
        <ChildLevel Name="Television" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Chair" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Table" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="ChamberName" Category="Livingroom">
          <string>TestRoom</string>
        </ChildLevel>
          <ChildLevel Name="ChamberName" Category="Bathroom">
          <string>BathTub</string>
        </ChildLevel>
         <ChildLevel Name="Door">
          <boolean>isOpen</boolean>
        </ChildLevel>
     </MainLevel>
</House>

What are your suggestions. Please help.Thx.

Answer 1

You best write 3 classes:

1. A House class, (= the root) containing a (inline-) list of MainLevel
2. A MainLevel class, containing a (inline-) list of all ChildLevel
3. A ChildLevel class, containing the value

Here's some pseudocode:

@Root(...)
public class House
{
    @ElementList(inline = true, ...)
    private List<MainLevel> levels;

    // ...
}

public class MainLevel
{
    @Attribute(name = "Name")
    private String name;
    @Attribute(name = "IsHidden")
    private bool hidden;
    @ElementList(inline = true, ...)
    private List<ChildLevel> childLevels;

    // ...
}

public class ChildLevel
{
    @Attribute(name = "Name")
    private String name;
    @Attribute(name = "Category", required = false)
    private String category;

    // ...
}

Since a ChildLevel can have different types, you have to take care about this. Either implement all types and mark them as not required, or make subclasses.