Parse Response Tag Elements Using a Standard API in NETCONF and Junos XML Protocol Sessions

In a NETCONF or Junos XML protocol session, client applications can handle incoming XML tag elements by feeding them to a parser that is based on a standard API such as the Document Object Model (DOM) or Simple API for XML (SAX). Describing how to implement and use a parser is beyond the scope of this documentation.

Routines in the DOM accept incoming XML and build a tag hierarchy in the client application’s memory. There are also DOM routines for manipulating an existing hierarchy. DOM implementations are available for several programming languages, including C, C++, Perl, and Java. For detailed information, see the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 1 Specification from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-DOM-Level-1/ . Additional information is available from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) at https://metacpan.org/search?q=dist:XML-DOM+dom.

One potential drawback with DOM is that it always builds a hierarchy of tag elements, which can become very large. If a client application needs to handle only one subhierarchy at a time, it can use a parser that implements SAX instead. SAX accepts XML and feeds the tag elements directly to the client application, which must build its own tag hierarchy. For more information, see the official SAX website at http://sax.sourceforge.net/ .