External DTDs

BlitzMax Forums/Brucey's Modules/External DTDs

Czar Flavius

(Posted 2010) [#1]

The system for loading external DTDs is very inconsistant.

All my DTDs are located in Data/XML/DTD/

This file is located in Data/Worlds/ and must use
<!DOCTYPE world SYSTEM "Data/XML/DTD/World.dtd">

This file is located in Data/Objects/Rat/ and must use
<!DOCTYPE object SYSTEM "../../../Data/XML/DTD/Object.dtd">

Why? There is so much trial and error involved it is really frustrating.

Czar Flavius

(Posted 2010) [#2]

Seperate issue, getAttribute does not read a default value from the DTD. Caused me a ton of unexpected bugs. Unless I put the attribute in the file (which defeats the point of a default value) it reads as blank.

Here is a small test program. I want rgb to return "1.0,1.0,1.0" if no value is provided on the stats node.

Strict
Import bah.libxml
Local doc:TxmlDoc = TxmlDoc.parseFile("blahblah\Data.xml")
Local node:TxmlNode = doc.getRootElement()
For Local dnode:TxmlNode = EachIn node.getChildren()
	For Local snode:TxmlNode = EachIn dnode.getChildren()
		Print snode.getName() + " " + snode.getAttribute("rgb")
	Next
Next
doc.free()

Here is a real data file I am reading

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE object SYSTEM "../../../Data/XML/DTD/Object.dtd">
<object type="Turret" id="Cannon" name="Cannon" destructable="1" build_on="0" selectable="1" can_aim="1" can_shoot="1" can_move="0">
	<data level="1">
		<stats cost="100" build_time="10000" size="32" health="1000" custom_icon="1" />
		<components>
			<component level="-1" order="0" type="Body" animset="RoughFloor" scale="1.0" alpha="0.8" position="0,0" build_start="0.0" build_end="1.0" build_style="Immediate"/>
			<component level="0" order="0" type="Body" animset="FatBase"  position="0,0" build_start="0.0" build_end="0.7" build_style="Lineup"/>
			<component level="0" order="1" type="Gun" animset="CannonGun" position="1,-47" turn_rate="50" build_start="0.7" build_end="1.0" build_style="Expand"/>
		</components>
	</data>
</object>

Here is the DTD

<!ELEMENT object (data)>
<!ELEMENT stats EMPTY>
<!ELEMENT data (stats, components)>
<!ELEMENT components (component*)>
<!ELEMENT component EMPTY>

<!ATTLIST data level CDATA #REQUIRED>

<!ATTLIST object type CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST object id CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST object name CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST object destructable CDATA "0">
<!ATTLIST object build_on CDATA "0">
<!ATTLIST object selectable CDATA "0">
<!ATTLIST object can_aim CDATA "0">
<!ATTLIST object can_shoot CDATA "0">
<!ATTLIST object can_move CDATA "0">

<!ATTLIST stats cost CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST stats build_time CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST stats size CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST stats health CDATA "100">
<!ATTLIST stats scale CDATA "1.0">
<!ATTLIST stats alpha CDATA "1.0">
<!ATTLIST stats rgb CDATA "1.0,1.0,1.0">
<!ATTLIST stats custom_icon CDATA "0">

<!ATTLIST component level CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST component order CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST component type CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST component animset CDATA #REQUIRED>
<!ATTLIST component scale CDATA "1.0">
<!ATTLIST component alpha CDATA "1.0">
<!ATTLIST component rgb CDATA "1.0,1.0,1.0">
<!ATTLIST component position CDATA "0,0">
<!ATTLIST component turn_rate CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST component build_start CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST component build_end CDATA #IMPLIED>
<!ATTLIST component build_style CDATA #IMPLIED>

Brucey

(Posted 2010) [#3]

You could try using the option XML_PARSE_DTDATTR with TxmlDoc.readFile(), which I believe should enable default attributes.

The system for loading external DTDs is very inconsistent.

It's possible that using the catalog system might allow you to set a base path from which to find dtds. But dtds, referenced relative to the file (rather than absolute) should always work.

Czar Flavius

(Posted 2010) [#4]

I can't find readFile, I am using TxmlDoc.parseFile(docname)

Brucey

(Posted 2010) [#5]

I've released the latest version which includes that new functionality. :-)

Czar Flavius

(Posted 2010) [#6]

Thanks Brucey, you're the best!