CDATA error. Is it me or Sun?

Question

I have a sample xml below and Sun's java source code. When use jdk1.3.1 or 1.4 and jaxp as the parser, I got error when turn on validation. Also, the CDATA section does not show properly when turn of validation (only show: Diagram:). Why "Text" still show for empty spaces when validation turns on? What a mess!!!
XML sample:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE slideshow[
<!ELEMENT slideshow (item)*>
<!ELEMENT item (CDATA)>
]>
<slideshow>
<item><![CDATA[Diagram:
frobmorten <------------ fuznaten
| <3> ^
| <1> | <1> = fozzle
V | <2> = framboze
staten--------------------+ <3> = frenzle
<2>
]]></item>
</slideshow>
Java Source code from Sun:
* @(#)DomEcho01.java     1.9 98/11/10
* Copyright (c) 1998 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
* Sun grants you ("Licensee") a non-exclusive, royalty free, license to use,
* modify and redistribute this software in source and binary code form,
* provided that i) this copyright notice and license appear on all copies of
* the software; and ii) Licensee does not utilize the software in a manner
* which is disparaging to Sun.
* This software is provided "AS IS," without a warranty of any kind. ALL
* EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY
* IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR
* NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED. SUN AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE
* LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES SUFFERED BY LICENSEE AS A RESULT OF USING, MODIFYING
* OR DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE OR ITS DERIVATIVES. IN NO EVENT WILL SUN OR ITS
* LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE, PROFIT OR DATA, OR FOR DIRECT,
* INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER
* CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF
* OR INABILITY TO USE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF SUN HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
* POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
* This software is not designed or intended for use in on-line control of
* aircraft, air traffic, aircraft navigation or aircraft communications; or in
* the design, construction, operation or maintenance of any nuclear
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import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder;
import javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilderFactory;
import javax.xml.parsers.FactoryConfigurationError;
import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;
import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
import org.xml.sax.SAXParseException;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import org.w3c.dom.Document;
import org.w3c.dom.DOMException;
public class DomEcho01{
// Global value so it can be ref'd by the tree-adapter
static Document document;
public static void main(String argv[])
if (argv.length != 1) {
System.err.println("Usage: java DomEcho filename");
System.exit(1);
DocumentBuilderFactory factory =
DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
factory.setValidating(true);
//factory.setNamespaceAware(true);
try {
DocumentBuilder builder = factory.newDocumentBuilder();
document = builder.parse( new File(argv[0]) );
} catch (SAXException sxe) {
// Error generated during parsing)
Exception x = sxe;
if (sxe.getException() != null)
x = sxe.getException();
x.printStackTrace();
} catch (ParserConfigurationException pce) {
// Parser with specified options can't be built
pce.printStackTrace();
} catch (IOException ioe) {
// I/O error
ioe.printStackTrace();
} // main

Answer 1

For SAX, it appears that nonvalidating parser would
ignore white space if DTD is there (I state this based
on the example from Sun's tutorial site). I am not
sure about DOM.Well, SAX would not use the characters method to report ignorable whitespace, when validating is true it must go through the ignorableWhitespace() callback. Non-validating parsers have a choice of using ignorableWhitespace() or characters callback. Still, stuff inside a CDATA section will always be reported as is, no whitespace will be ignored. For DOM you have to check the supported features if it allows you to change its behaviour regarding whitespace. Take also a look at the Node.normalize() method and there's always trim().
About CDATA, I wonder if I still can use it if my data
has something like:
]]> in the middle of it.
That'll be a problem. In that case, you'd have to escape the '<' character.