A Lisp Based XML Parser

Introduction/Simple Example
LXML parse output format
parse-xml non-validating parser properties
case and international character support issues
parse-xml and packages
parse-xml, the XML Namespace specification, and packages
ACL does not support Unicode 4 byte scalar values
only little-endian Unicode tested in ACL 6.0 beta
debugging aids
XML Conformance test results
Compiling and Loading the parser
parse-xml reference

The parse-xml generic function processes XML input, returning a list of XML tags,
attributes, and text. Here is a simple example:

(parse-xml "<item1><item2 att1='one'/>this is some text</item1>")

-->

((item1 ((item2 att1 "one")) "this is some text"))

The output format is known as LXML format.

LXML Format

LXML is a list representation of XML tags and content.

Each list member may be:

a. a string containing text content, such as "Here is some text with a "

b. a list representing a XML tag with associated attributes and/or content, such as ('item1 "text") or (('item1 :att1 "help.html") "link"). If the XML tag does not have associated attributes, then the first list member will be a symbol representing the XML tag, and the other elements will represent the content, which can be a string (text content), a symbol (XML tag with no attributes or content), or list (nested XML tag with associated attributes and/or content). If there are associated attributes, then the first list member will be a list containing a symbol followed by two list members for each associated attribute; the first member is a symbol representing the attribute, and the next member is a string corresponding to the attribute value.

c. XML comments and or processing instructions - see the more detailed example below for further information.

Non Validating Parser Properties

Parse-xml is a non-validating XML parser. It will detect non-well-formed XML input. When
processing valid XML input, parse-xml will optionally produce the same output as a validating
parser would, including the processing of an external DTD subset and external entity declarations.

By default, parse-xml outputs a DTD parse along with the parsed XML contents. The DTD parse may
be optionally suppressed. The following example shows DTD parsed output components:

(defvar *xml-example-external-url*
   "<!ENTITY ext1 'this is some external entity %param1;'>")

(defun example-callback (var-name token &optional public)
  (declare (ignorable token public))
  (setf var-name (uri-path var-name))
  (if* (equal var-name "null") then nil
    else
      (let ((string (eval (intern var-name (find-package :user)))))
      (make-string-input-stream string))))

(defvar *xml-example-string*
"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<!-- the following XML input is well-formed but its validity has not been checked ... -->
<?piexample this is an example processing instruction tag ?>
<!DOCTYPE example SYSTEM '*xml-example-external-url*' [
   <!ELEMENT item1 (item2* | (item3+ , item4))>
   <!ELEMENT item2 ANY>
   <!ELEMENT item3 (#PCDATA)>
   <!ELEMENT item4 (#PCDATA)>
   <!ATTLIST item1
      att1 CDATA #FIXED 'att1-default'
      att2 ID #REQUIRED
      att3 ( one | two | three ) 'one'
      att4 NOTATION ( four | five ) 'four' >
   <!ENTITY % param1 'text'>
   <!ENTITY nentity SYSTEM 'null' NDATA somedata>
   <!NOTATION notation SYSTEM 'notation-processor'>
   ]>
<item1 att2='1'><item3>&ext1;</item3></item1>")

(pprint (parse-xml *xml-example-string* :external-callback 'example-callback))

-->

((:xml :version "1.0" :encoding "utf-8")
  (:comment " the following XML input is well-formed but may or may not be valid ")
  (:pi :piexample "this is an example processing instruction tag ")
  (:DOCTYPE :example
    (:[ (:ELEMENT :item1 (:choice (:* :item2) (:seq (:+ :item3) :item4)))
        (:ELEMENT :item2 :ANY)
        (:ELEMENT :item3 :PCDATA) (:ELEMENT :item4 :PCDATA)
        (:ATTLIST item1 (att1 :CDATA :FIXED "att1-default") (att2 :ID :REQUIRED)
             (att3 (:enumeration :one :two :three) "one")
             (att4 (:NOTATION :four :five) "four"))
        (:ENTITY :param1 :param "text")
        (:ENTITY :nentity :SYSTEM "null" :NDATA :somedata)
        (:NOTATION :notation :SYSTEM "notation-processor"))
    (:external (:ENTITY :ext1 "this is some external entity text")))
   ((item1 att1 "att1-default" att2 "1" att3 "one" att4 "four")
       (item3 "this is some external entity text")))


Usage Notes

1. The parse-xml function has been primarily compiled and tested in a modern ACL. However, in an ANSI Lisp with wide character support, it DOES pass the valid component of the conformance suite in the same manner as it does in a Modern Lisp. The parser's successful operation in all potential situations depends on wide character support.
   
   
2. The parser uses the keyword package for DTD tokens and other special XML tokens. Since element and attribute token symbols are usually interned in the current package, it is not recommended to execute parse-xml when the current package is the keyword package.
   
   
3. The XML parser supports the XML Namespaces specification. The parser recognizes a "xmlns" attribute and attribute names starting with "xmlns:". As per the specification, the parser expects that the associated value is an URI string. The parser then associates XML Namespace prefixes with a Lisp package provided via the parse-xml :uri-to-package option or, if necessary, a package created on the fly. The following example demonstrates this behavior:
   

   (setf *xml-example-string4*
      "<bibliography
         xmlns:bib='http://www.bibliography.org/XML/bib.ns'
         xmlns='urn:com:books-r-us'>
      <bib:book owner='Smith'>
         <bib:title>A Tale of Two Cities</bib:title>
         <bib:bibliography
            xmlns:bib='http://www.franz.com/XML/bib.ns'
            xmlns='urn:com:books-r-us'>
         <bib:library branch='Main'>UK Library</bib:library>
         <bib:date calendar='Julian'>1999</bib:date>
         </bib:bibliography>
      <bib:date calendar='Julian'>1999</bib:date>
      </bib:book>
   </bibliography>")
   
   (setf *uri-to-package* nil)
   (setf *uri-to-package*
      (acons (parse-uri "http://www.bibliography.org/XML/bib.ns")
         (make-package "bib") *uri-to-package*))
   (setf *uri-to-package*
      (acons (parse-uri "urn:com:books-r-us")
         (make-package "royal") *uri-to-package*))
   (setf *uri-to-package*
      (acons (parse-uri "http://www.franz.com/XML/bib.ns")
         (make-package "franz-ns") *uri-to-package*))
   (pprint (multiple-value-list
                (parse-xml *xml-example-string4*
                     :uri-to-package *uri-to-package*)))
   
   -->
   ((((bibliography |xmlns:bib| "http://www.bibliography.org/XML/bib.ns"
        xmlns "urn:com:books-r-us")
       "
       "
      ((bib::book royal::owner "Smith") "
           " (bib::title "A Tale of Two Cities") "
           "
       ((bib::bibliography royal::|xmlns:bib|
         "http://www.franz.com/XML/bib.ns" royal::xmlns
         "urn:com:books-r-us")
        "
            " ((franz-ns::library royal::branch "Main") "UK Library") "
            " ((franz-ns::date royal::calendar "Julian") "1999") "
            ")
        "
            " ((bib::date royal::calendar "Julian") "1999") "
            ")
        "
            "))
   ((#<uri http://www.franz.com/XML/bib.ns> . #<The franz-ns package>)
     (#<uri urn:com:books-r-us> . #<The royal package>)
     (#<uri http://www.bibliography.org/XML/bib.ns> . #<The bib package>)))
   
   

4. In the absence of XML Namespace attributes, element and attribute symbols are interned in the current package. Note that this implies that attributes and elements referenced in DTD content will be interned in the current package.
5. The parse-xml function has been tested using the OASIS conformance test suite (see details below). The test suite has wide coverage across possible XML and DTD syntax, but there may be some syntax paths that have not yet been tested or completely supported. Here is a list of currently known syntax parsing issues:
   • ACL does not support 4 byte Unicode scalar values, so input containing such data will not be processed correctly. (Note, however, that parse-xml does correctly detect and process wide Unicode input.)
   • The OASIS tests that contain wide Unicode all use a little-endian encoded Unicode. Changes to the unicode-check function are required to also support big-endian encoded Unicode. (Note also that this issue may be resolved by an ACL 6.0 final release change.)
   • An initial <?xml declaration in external entity files is skipped without a check being made to see if the <?xml declaration is itself incorrect.
6. When investigating possible parser errors or examining more closely where the parser determined that the input was non-well-formed, the net.xml.parser internal symbols *debug-xml* and *debug-dtd* are useful. When not bound to nil, these variables cause lexical analysis and intermediate parsing results to be output to *standard-output*.
7. It is necessary to load the pxml module before using it. Typically this can be done by evaluating (require :pxml).

1. LXML and parsed DTD output, as described above.
2. An association list containing the uri-to-package argument conses (if any) and conses associated with any XML Namespace packages created during the parse (see uri-to-package argument description, below).

(defun file-callback (uri-object token &optional public)
  ;; The uri-object is an ACL URI object created from
  ;; the XML input. In this example, this function
  ;; assumes that all uri's will be file specifications.
  ;;
  ;; The token argument identifies what token is associated
  ;; with the external parse (for example :DOCTYPE for external
  ;; DTD subset
  ;;
  ;; The public argument contains the associated PUBLIC string,
  ;; when present
  ;;
  (declare (ignorable token public))
  ;; An open stream is returned on success,
  ;; a nil return value indicates that the external
  ;; parse should not occur.
  ;; Note that parse-xml will close the open stream before exiting.
  (ignore-errors (open (uri-path uri-object))))

The general-entities argument is an association list containing general entity symbol and replacement text pairs. The entity symbols should be in the keyword package. Note that this option may be useful in generating desirable parse results in situations where you do not wish to parse external entities or the external DTD subset.

The parameter-entities argument is an association list containing parameter entity symbol and replacement text pairs. The entity symbols should be in the keyword package. Note that this option may be useful in generating desirable parse results in situations where you do not wish to parse external entities or the external DTD subset.

The uri-to-package argument is an association list containing uri objects and package objects. Typically, the uri objects correspond to XML Namespace attribute values, and the package objects correspond to the desired package for interning symbols associated with the uri namespace. If the parser encounters an uri object not contained in this list, it will generate a new package. The first generated package will be named net.xml.namespace.0, the second will be named net.xml.namespace.1, and so on.

parse-xml methods

(parse-xml (p stream) &key
                      external-callback content-only
                      general-entities
                      parameter-entities
                      uri-to-package)

(parse-xml (str string) &key
                        external-callback content-only
                        general-entities
                        parameter-entities
                        uri-to-package)

(with-open-file (p "example.xml")
  (parse-xml p :content-only p))

net.xml.parser unexported special variables:

*debug-xml*

When true, parse-xml generates XML lexical state and intermediary parse result debugging output.

*debug-dtd*

When true, parse-xml generates DTD lexical state and intermediary parse result debugging output.