xml.parsers.expat vs. xml.sax

[Neil Benn]

Hello,

          I'm fairly new to Python but I've had a fair bit of experience 
in SAX. 

    Basically xml.sax.XMLReader is a simple implementation that doesn't 
do anything when you call parse, setFeature etc.  Expat is an 
implementation of the XMLReader, therefore in actual fact you will never 
know that you are using Expat as an SAX XMLReader implmentation and you 
never should need to know - it is simply returned from make_parser  The 
reason that SAX has this mechanism is that it easily allows you to 
switch implementations in and out.  Take a look at the source code and 
it immediatly becaomes clear!

    This makes more sense in other languages which have formal 
interfaces but Python doesn't have such a thing (although you can 
acheive the same effect in other ways if you so desire).

PS I'm new to Python so if that's wrong for the Python SAX 
implementation then please let me know!

Cheers,

Neil

Thomas Guettler wrote:

>Hi!
>
>What are the difference between xml.parsers.expat
>and xml.sax?
>
>Up to now I used xml.sax.make_parser and subclass
>from ContentHandler.
>
>I think xml.sax.make_parser uses expat as default.
>Why should I want to use xml.parsers.expat?
>
> Regards,
>  Thomas
>
>  
>

-- 

Neil Benn
Senior Automation Engineer
Cenix BioScience
PfotenhauerStrasse 108
D-01307
Dresden
Germany

Tel : +49 (351) 210 1300
e-mail : benn at cenix-bioscience.com
Cenix Website : http://www.cenix-bioscience.com