DOM: parsing problem, inputstream

Question

Hi,
We are developing a simple server that translates a XML query to a SQL query, sends that SQL query to the database, translates the result to a XML resultset and sends it back to the connecting client.
We are using DOM to interpret the XML in order to build the XML query, since DOM builds a tree (that we use as a buffer), instead of SAX that has to be interpreted realtime.
Our problem is as follows: the inputstream of the socket act as the input stream for DOM. No exception occures, but at the point when we call domParser.parse();, the thread hangs. When we close the connection, the local output (at the server) is done; the thread continues.
We assume that the following causes the problem: the inputstream is used to read the XML from. But when the XML is sent over the stream, the stream is not closed. Somehow the parser still expects something. When the clientconnection is closed, the stream is closed and the thread can continue; the parser know that the input is ended.
Do you know how to solve this? We cannot just close the connection, because we need to receive the result. Does the parser expects some end indicator? For the inputstream for the parser we use a BufferedReader (otherwise we are getting a NullPointerException).
Thanks! And cheers,
Jeroen Oosterlaar

Answer 1

personaly, for doing a similar stuff, on the server I accumulate the XML lines received over the socket, until I bump into a pre-defined stop line, then I send the accumulated XML data to the parser.
but it might not be the most elegant solution!