XML data binding. What to choose?

Question

Hello XML gurus,
I am about to write a GUI application where I need to initialize objects from xml file. What is the best technology to use for that. DOM, SAX, JAXB, JIBX... The xml file is relatively simple. Here is an example:
<SCHEDULING>
  <Course>
    <courseID>1</courseID>
    <course_type_courseTypeID>1</course_type_courseTypeID>
    <department_departmentID>2</department_departmentID>
    <courseNum>116</courseNum>
    <name>Intro To Computer Systems</name>
    <subtitle></subtitle>
    <credits>3</credits>
    <notes>NOTE: May not be taken if student already has credit for any of the following: COSC 110, COSC 112, COSC 115, ISMN 111.</notes>
    <isCrossListed>0</isCrossListed>
    <isActive>1</isActive>
  </Course>
  <Course_Type>
    <courseTypeID>2</courseTypeID>
    <name>Lab</name>
    <abrev>LAB</abrev>
  </Course_Type>
  <Department>
    <departmentID>1</departmentID>
    <name>Mathematics</name>
    <abrev>MATH</abrev>
  </Department>
    <Instructor>
    <instructorID>1</instructorID>
    <room_roomID>1</room_roomID>
    <instructor_STATUS_statusID>1</instructor_STATUS_statusID>
    <department_departmentID>1</department_departmentID>
    <firstName>Homer</firstName>
    <lastName>Austin</lastName>
    <mi>W</mi>
    <phoneNum>36468</phoneNum>
    <emplid>1100000</emplid>
    <isActive>1</isActive>
  </Instructor>
  <Requisite>
    <requisiteID>1</requisiteID>
    <course_courseID>9</course_courseID>
    <course_requisiteCourseID>7</course_requisiteCourseID>
    <typeRequisite>1</typeRequisite>
  </Requisite>
  <Room>
    <roomID>13</roomID>
    <name>HS128</name>
    <maxCapacity>0</maxCapacity>
    <idealCapacity>0</idealCapacity>
    <isLab>0</isLab>
    <isOffice>1</isOffice>
  </Room>
  <Schedule>
    <scheduleID>11</scheduleID>
    <course_courseID>7</course_courseID>
    <instructor_instructorID>16</instructor_instructorID>
    <room_roomID>36</room_roomID>
    <semester_semesterID>1</semester_semesterID>
    <sectionNumber>2</sectionNumber>
    <startTime>12:30:00</startTime>
    <endTime>13:45:00</endTime>
    <enumDays>20</enumDays>
    <notes></notes>
    <idealCapacity>99</idealCapacity>
    <actualEnrollment>99</actualEnrollment>
    <workload>0</workload>
  </Schedule>
</SCHEDULING>
  The last <Schedule> node is what GUI application should produce of modify. I am personally familiar only with DOM API, but
what would you choose?
serezha.

Answer 1

I had kinda similar requirement and I found JAXB pretty heavy to use. So here is what I did.
I created an interface which had two methods to drill down the hierarchy of objects.
interface XX {
Iterator getAllChildren()
BaseClass getNamedChildClass(String childName)
abstract class BaseClass implements XX {
private Map keyValues = new HashMap();
public void setValue(String name, Object value) {
keyValues.put(name, value);
public Object getValue(String name) {
//return from map
Now the application value object will look smthg like
public class Course extends BaseClass {
final String ID = "courseID";
public setCourseId(Integer courseId) {
setValue(ID, courseId);
public Integer getCourseId() {
return (Integer) getValue(ID);
//Nested child classes will also extend base class
So now you have a way to traverse Java object Hierarchy without knowing what they contain and how deep they are.
Next step: Write a config file where you have
Java location: Scheduling.Course.courseID
Xpath: /Scheduling/Course/courseId
Write a driver which will read this config file and fill those java objects based on this config file.
Let me know if you have any questions. I have just finished writing XML--> Java piece of it. Will concentrate on Java --> xml part of it.