Support format annotations for better parsing

[neilmcguigan]

For example, to parse a Date I need to register a Converter class.

It would be slicker if I could put a @DateFormat("...some simpledateformat string...") annotation on the interface field, and XMLBeam would use that to parse the date.

Same for ints, etc.

[SvenEwald]

Actually, registering a Converter class is the preferred way of creating a Date instance.
I see the conversion options as part of the global configuration and not something to be repeated per projection method. But I understand the wish for easier conversion configuration. Need to think about that ...

[SvenEwald]

planed for 1.4.1

[SvenEwald]

Already in development, but it's more tricky than thought. I want externalizers to be able to contribute the format specs, just like the XPaths.

[SvenEwald]

It's more complicated than it looks at the first place. The formatting needs to be applied to the evaluation result and to any parameter used in the expression. Need to update the grammar. Now planed for 1.4.2.

[SvenEwald]

Finally included this feature in current release (1.4.2). It is not an additional annotation, but using an extension to XPath. This way multiple formats can be specified in one expression and externalizers work transparently. Have fun with this feature!