Sun stuffed up in XML DOM, any ideas?

Question

hi all,
I do a lot of back end integration with embedded systems back to the
end user. A lot of my work is either server side or end user. As such
I use Swing quite a lot.
For a new import utility, I decided to use XML to configure the options
for the end user on a per client basis. This is for field mapping
configuration on a table per table basis.
During this, I have discovered what a dog XML in J2SE is.
But the biggest problem is something I consider a design flaw. Namely:
TransformerException
This Exception is actualy a wrapper of other exceptions. In my case I
am transforming either to or from a file, hence I can get IO exceptions.
There are no IO exceptions thrown, there is only a TransformerExcetion
(well technicaly there are TransformerExceptions thrown that wrap the
IO exceptions).
Because I am writing a tool for end users at factories (with limited
computer skills), I allways handle every single exception with an
intelligent way, normaly either fixing the problem myself or giving
a meaningful message to the user (this does not mean just doing a
e.toString() and placing it in a dialog box).
Well, there is no documentation that states the possible exceptions
that can be wrapped by TransformerException. If you look at all the
classes that implement javax.xml.transform.Source or
javax.xml.transform.Result you will see that in none of
them, is there any documentation on what exceptions can be thrown.
Btw, the exceptions are thrown when you call the method transform() from
javax.xml.transform.TransformerI presume I could try some sort of hash table with a list of all
exceptions in J2SE, and a static method to run when it occurs (using
reflection), but that would be incredibly UGLY.
Because the exceptions are wrapped, there is no error at compile time as
long as you handle the TransformerExcetion. So there is no way for me
to determine what could be thrown.
To me this breaks the whole concept of exceptions. When we hide the
exceptions that can occur and remove the need for a developer to
catch them, then why have them at all? This makes me feel like I'm
working in a 4GL or C.
Note that I posted this in the XML group and got very unhelpful responses.
Maybe I am just ranting, but I find it frustrating when something like
this is developed with such a web centric view, and no conception of
how it would impact on people in other areas of development. Of course
e.toString() would be fine in a log file for a server when a java
programmer is going to review the log. Not at all helpful for
end user software.
[end rant]
Anyway, anyone with any suggestions on how best to handle this?
James.

Answer 1

public class Test {
     public static void main(String[] args){
          try {
               throw new javax.xml.transform.TransformerException(
                    new java.rmi.AccessException("test")
          } catch (javax.xml.transform.TransformerException e){
               Throwable yuk = e.getException();
               try {
                    throw yuk;
               } catch(java.rmi.AccessException ae){
                    System.out.println("got it! [" + ae.toString() + "]");
               } catch(Throwable e22){
                    System.out.println("missed");
}