Implement XML properties support.

[lviggiano]

Since JDK 1.5 Java properties support XML format via loadFromXML() and storeToXML()

There is no reason why OWNER API shouldn't implement those two methods.

[maroun-baydoun]

The ability to marshal/unmarshal XML documents is already implemented in JAXB, so maybe that can be a starting point.

[lviggiano]

sure thing, but it's easier than that: java.util.Properties have the method already implemented, I just need to forward the method invokation. See PropertyInvocationHandler:

@Override
public Object invoke(Object proxy, Method method, Object[] args) throws Throwable {
    // I just need to add something like:
    // if (method == storeToXML()) {
    //      properties.storeToXML(args); 
    //      return null;
    // }
    String key = key(method);
    String defaultValue = defaultValue(method);
    String value = properties.getProperty(key, defaultValue);
    if (value == null)
        return null;
    return convert(method.getReturnType(), format(value, args)); // TODO: variable expansion here would be nice
}

Very simple.

Then change the Config interface to add the storeToXML() method.

It's a little bit more complicate intead for the load (which I should implement in the ConfigFactory.load(InputStream))

[lviggiano]

Looking at how XML properties are implemented in Java, now I find the reason why not to have them in Owner API.

Not sure this will be available anytime soon.

[lviggiano]

link to #14

[lviggiano]

Almost done :)

on master branch OWNER is able to load xml files into properties. The format can be the one specified by the DTD of the properties class, or an xml specified by the user on his own taste.

Example of xml accepted, as specified by the DTD in properties class:

The ugly java format:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE properties SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/properties.dtd">
<properties>
    <comment>this is an example</comment>
    <entry key="server.ssh.alive.interval">60</entry>
    <entry key="server.ssh.address">127.0.0.1</entry>
    <entry key="server.http.port">80</entry>
    <entry key="server.http.hostname">localhost</entry>
    <entry key="server.ssh.user">admin</entry>
    <entry key="server.ssh.port">22</entry>
</properties>

A better example (the content is the same as above, and both will work the same way for OWNER):

<server>
    <http port="80">
        <hostname>localhost</hostname>
    </http>
    <ssh port="22">
        <address>127.0.0.1</address>
        <alive interval="60"/>
        <user>admin</user>
    </ssh>
</server>

Example of the mapping interface for the above xml examples

interface ServerConfig extends Config {

    @Key("server.http.port")
    int httpPort();

    @Key("server.http.hostname")
    String httpHostname();

    @Key("server.ssh.port")
    int sshPort();

    @Key("server.ssh.address")
    String sshAddress();

    @Key("server.ssh.alive.interval")
    int aliveInterval();

    @Key("server.ssh.user")
    String sshUser();
}