# Class DocumentBuilder

java.lang.Object
javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilder

public abstract class DocumentBuilder extends Object
Defines the API to obtain DOM Document instances from an XML document. Using this class, an application programmer can obtain a `Document` from XML.

An instance of this class can be obtained from the `DocumentBuilderFactory.newDocumentBuilder()` method. Once an instance of this class is obtained, XML can be parsed from a variety of input sources. These input sources are InputStreams, Files, URLs, and SAX InputSources.

Note that this class reuses several classes from the SAX API. This does not require that the implementor of the underlying DOM implementation use a SAX parser to parse XML document into a `Document`. It merely requires that the implementation communicate with the application using these existing APIs.

Since:
  1.4

## Constructor Summary

Constructors
Modifier
Constructor
Description
`protected`
`DocumentBuilder()`
Protected constructor

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`abstract DOMImplementation`
`getDOMImplementation()`
Obtain an instance of a `DOMImplementation` object.
`Schema`
`getSchema()`
Get a reference to the `Schema` being used by the XML processor.
`abstract boolean`
`isNamespaceAware()`
Indicates whether or not this parser is configured to understand namespaces.
`abstract boolean`
`isValidating()`
Indicates whether or not this parser is configured to validate XML documents.
`boolean`
`isXIncludeAware()`
Get the XInclude processing mode for this parser.
`abstract Document`
`newDocument()`
Obtain a new instance of a DOM `Document` object to build a DOM tree with.
`Document`
`parse(File f)`
Parse the content of the given file as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object.
`Document`
`parse(InputStream is)`
Parse the content of the given `InputStream` as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object.
`Document`
`parse(InputStream is, String systemId)`
Parse the content of the given `InputStream` as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object.
`Document`
`parse(String uri)`
Parse the content of the given URI as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object.
`abstract Document`
`parse(InputSource is)`
Parse the content of the given input source as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object.
`void`
`reset()`
Reset this `DocumentBuilder` to its original configuration.
`abstract void`
`setEntityResolver(EntityResolver er)`
Specify the `EntityResolver` to be used to resolve entities present in the XML document to be parsed.
`abstract void`
`setErrorHandler(ErrorHandler eh)`
Specify the `ErrorHandler` to be used by the parser.

### Methods declared in class Object

`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

## Constructor Details

### DocumentBuilder

protected DocumentBuilder()
Protected constructor

## Method Details

### reset

public void reset()

Reset this `DocumentBuilder` to its original configuration.

`DocumentBuilder` is reset to the same state as when it was created with `DocumentBuilderFactory.newDocumentBuilder()`. `reset()` is designed to allow the reuse of existing `DocumentBuilder`s thus saving resources associated with the creation of new `DocumentBuilder`s.

The reset `DocumentBuilder` is not guaranteed to have the same `EntityResolver` or `ErrorHandler` `Object`s, e.g. `Object.equals(Object obj)`. It is guaranteed to have a functionally equal `EntityResolver` and `ErrorHandler`.

Throws:
  `UnsupportedOperationException` - When implementation does not override this method.
Since:
  1.5

### parse

public Document parse(InputStream is) throws SAXException, IOException
Parse the content of the given `InputStream` as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object. An `IllegalArgumentException` is thrown if the `InputStream` is null.

Parameters:
  `is` - InputStream containing the content to be parsed.
Returns:
  `Document` result of parsing the `InputStream`
Throws:
  `IOException` - If any IO errors occur.
  `SAXException` - If any parse errors occur.
  `IllegalArgumentException` - When `is` is `null`
See Also:
  - `DocumentHandler`

### parse

public Document parse(InputStream is, String systemId) throws SAXException, IOException
Parse the content of the given `InputStream` as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object. An `IllegalArgumentException` is thrown if the `InputStream` is null.

Parameters:
  `is` - InputStream containing the content to be parsed.
  `systemId` - Provide a base for resolving relative URIs.
Returns:
  A new DOM Document object.
Throws:
  `IOException` - If any IO errors occur.
  `SAXException` - If any parse errors occur.
  `IllegalArgumentException` - When `is` is `null`
See Also:
  - `DocumentHandler`

### parse

public Document parse(String uri) throws SAXException, IOException
Parse the content of the given URI as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object. An `IllegalArgumentException` is thrown if the URI is `null`.

Parameters:
  `uri` - The location of the content to be parsed.
Returns:
  A new DOM Document object.
Throws:
  `IOException` - If any IO errors occur.
  `SAXException` - If any parse errors occur.
  `IllegalArgumentException` - When `uri` is `null`
See Also:
  - `DocumentHandler`

### parse

public Document parse(File f) throws SAXException, IOException
Parse the content of the given file as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object. An `IllegalArgumentException` is thrown if the `File` is `null`.

Parameters:
  `f` - The file containing the XML to parse.
Returns:
  A new DOM Document object.
Throws:
  `IOException` - If any IO errors occur.
  `SAXException` - If any parse errors occur.
  `IllegalArgumentException` - When `f` is `null`
See Also:
  - `DocumentHandler`

### parse

public abstract Document parse(InputSource is) throws SAXException, IOException
Parse the content of the given input source as an XML document and return a new DOM `Document` object. An `IllegalArgumentException` is thrown if the `InputSource` is `null`.

Parameters:
  `is` - InputSource containing the content to be parsed.
Returns:
  A new DOM Document object.
Throws:
  `IOException` - If any IO errors occur.
  `SAXException` - If any parse errors occur.
  `IllegalArgumentException` - When `is` is `null`
See Also:
  - `DocumentHandler`

### isNamespaceAware

public abstract boolean isNamespaceAware()
Indicates whether or not this parser is configured to understand namespaces.

Returns:
  true if this parser is configured to understand namespaces; false otherwise.

### isValidating

public abstract boolean isValidating()
Indicates whether or not this parser is configured to validate XML documents.

Returns:
  true if this parser is configured to validate XML documents; false otherwise.

### setEntityResolver

public abstract void setEntityResolver(EntityResolver er)
Specify the `EntityResolver` to be used to resolve entities present in the XML document to be parsed. Setting this to `null` will result in the underlying implementation using it's own default implementation and behavior.

Parameters:
  `er` - The `EntityResolver` to be used to resolve entities present in the XML document to be parsed.

### setErrorHandler

public abstract void setErrorHandler(ErrorHandler eh)
Specify the `ErrorHandler` to be used by the parser. Setting this to `null` will result in the underlying implementation using it's own default implementation and behavior.

Parameters:
  `eh` - The `ErrorHandler` to be used by the parser.

### newDocument

public abstract Document newDocument()
Obtain a new instance of a DOM `Document` object to build a DOM tree with.

Returns:
  A new instance of a DOM Document object.

### getDOMImplementation

public abstract DOMImplementation getDOMImplementation()
Obtain an instance of a `DOMImplementation` object.

Returns:
  A new instance of a `DOMImplementation`.

### getSchema

public Schema getSchema()

Get a reference to the `Schema` being used by the XML processor.

If no schema is being used, `null` is returned.

Returns:
  `Schema` being used or `null` if none in use
Throws:
  `UnsupportedOperationException` - When implementation does not override this method
Since:
  1.5

### isXIncludeAware

public boolean isXIncludeAware()

Get the XInclude processing mode for this parser.

Returns:
  the return value of the `DocumentBuilderFactory.isXIncludeAware()` when this parser was created from factory.
Throws:
  `UnsupportedOperationException` - When implementation does not override this method
Since:
  1.5
See Also:
  - `DocumentBuilderFactory.setXIncludeAware(boolean)`