=head1 NAME

XML::LibXML - Perl Binding for libxml2

=head1 SYNOPSIS

  use XML::LibXML;
  my $parser = XML::LibXML->new();
  
  my $doc = $parser->parse_string(<<'EOT');
  <some-xml/>
  EOT

  $Version_String = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION;
  $Version_ID = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION;
  $DLL_Version = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION;
  $libxmlnode = XML::LibXML->import_GDOME( $node, $deep );
  $gdomenode = XML::LibXML->export_GDOME( $node, $deep );


=head1 DESCRIPTION


=head1 DESCRIPTION

This module is an interface to the gnome libxml2 DOM and SAX parser and the DOM
tree. It also provides an XML::XPath-like findnodes() interface, providing
access to the XPath API in libxml2. The module is split into several packages
which are not described in this section.

For further information, please check the following documentation:

=over 4

=item B<XML::LibXML::Parser>

Parsing XML Files with XML::LibXML


=item B<XML::LibXML::DOM>

XML::LibXML DOM Implementation


=item B<XML::LibXML::SAX>

XML::LibXML direct SAX parser


=item B<XML::LibXML::Reader>

Reading XML with a pull-parser


=item B<XML::LibXML::Document>

XML::LibXML DOM Document Class


=item B<XML::LibXML::Node>

Abstract Base Class of XML::LibXML Nodes


=item B<XML::LibXML::Element>

XML::LibXML Class for Element Nodes


=item B<XML::LibXML::Text>

XML::LibXML Class for Text Nodes


=item B<XML::LibXML::Comment>

XML::LibXML Comment Nodes


=item B<XML::LibXML::CDATASection>

XML::LibXML Class for CDATA Sections


=item B<XML::LibXML::Attr>

XML::LibXML Attribute Class


=item B<XML::LibXML::DocumentFragment>

XML::LibXML's DOM L2 Document Fragment Implementation


=item B<XML::LibXML::Namespace>

XML::LibXML Namespace Implementation


=item B<XML::LibXML::PI>

XML::LibXML Processing Instructions


=item B<XML::LibXML::Dtd>

XML::LibXML DTD Support


=item B<XML::LibXML::RelaxNG>

XML::LibXML frontend for RelaxNG schema validation


=item B<XML::LibXML::Schema>

XML::LibXML frontend for W3C Schema schema validation


=item B<XML::LibXML::XPathContext>

API for evaluating XPath expressions


=item B<XML::LibXMLguts>

Internal of the Perl Layer for libxml2 (not done yet)



=back


=head1 VERSION INFORMATION

Sometimes it is useful to figure out, for which version XML::LibXML was
compiled for. In most cases this is for debugging or to check if a given
installation meets all functionality for the package. The functions
XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION and XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION provide this
version information. Both functions simply pass through the values of the
similar named macros of libxml2. Similarly, XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION
returns the version of the (usually dynamically) linked libxml2.

=over 4

=item B<XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION>

  $Version_String = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_DOTTED_VERSION;

Returns the version string of the libxml2 version XML::LibXML was compiled for.
This will be "2.6.2" for "libxml2 2.6.2".


=item B<XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION>

  $Version_ID = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_VERSION;

Returns the version id of the libxml2 version XML::LibXML was compiled for.
This will be "20602" for "libxml2 2.6.2". Don't mix this version id with
$XML::LibXML::VERSION. The latter contains the version of XML::LibXML itself
while the first contains the version of libxml2 XML::LibXML was compiled for.


=item B<XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION>

  $DLL_Version = XML::LibXML::LIBXML_RUNTIME_VERSION;

Returns a version string of the libxml2 which is (usually dynamically) linked
by XML::LibXML. This will be "20602" for libxml2 released as "2.6.2" and
something like "20602-CVS2032" for a CVS build of libxml2.

XML::LibXML issues a warning if the version of libxml2 dynamically linked to it
is less than the version of libxml2 which it was compiled against.



=back


=head1 RELATED MODULES

The modules described in this section are not part of the XML::LibXML package
itself. As they support some additional features, they are mentioned here.

=over 4

=item B<XML::LibXSLT>

XSLT Processor using libxslt and XML::LibXML


=item B<XML::LibXML::Common>

Common functions for XML::LibXML related Classes


=item B<XML::LibXML::Iterator>

XML::LibXML Implementation of the DOM Traversal Specification



=back


=head1 XML::LIBXML AND XML::GDOME

Note: THE FUNCTIONS DESCRIBED HERE ARE STILL EXPERIMENTAL

Although both modules make use of libxml2's XML capabilities, the DOM
implementation of both modules are not compatible. But still it is possible to
exchange nodes from one DOM to the other. The concept of this exchange is
pretty similar to the function cloneNode(): The particular node is copied on
the low-level to the opposite DOM implementation.

Since the DOM implementations cannot coexist within one document, one is forced
to copy each node that should be used. Because you are always keeping two nodes
this may cause quite an impact on a machines memory usage.

XML::LibXML provides two functions to export or import GDOME nodes:
import_GDOME() and export_GDOME(). Both function have two parameters: the node
and a flag for recursive import. The flag works as in cloneNode().

The two functions allow to export and import XML::GDOME nodes explicitly,
however, XML::LibXML allows also the transparent import of XML::GDOME nodes in
functions such as appendChild(), insertAfter() and so on. While native nodes
are automatically adopted in most functions XML::GDOME nodes are always cloned
in advance. Thus if the original node is modified after the operation, the node
in the XML::LibXML document will not have this information.

=over 4

=item B<import_GDOME>

  $libxmlnode = XML::LibXML->import_GDOME( $node, $deep );

This clones an XML::GDOME node to a XML::LibXML node explicitly.


=item B<export_GDOME>

  $gdomenode = XML::LibXML->export_GDOME( $node, $deep );

Allows to clone an XML::LibXML node into a XML::GDOME node.



=back


=head1 CONTACTS

For bug reports, please use the CPAN request tracker on
http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=XML-LibXML

For suggestions etc., and other issues related to XML::LibXML you may use the
perl XML mailing list (perl-xml@listserv.ActiveState.com), where most
XML-related Perl modules are discussed. In case of problems you should check
the archives of that list first. Many problems are already discussed there. You
can find the list's archives and subscription options at
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Mail/Browse/Threaded/perl-xml.

=head1 AUTHORS

Matt Sergeant, 
Christian Glahn, 
Petr Pajas, 

=head1 VERSION

1.64

=head1 COPYRIGHT

2001-2007, AxKit.com Ltd; 2002-2006 Christian Glahn; 2006-2007 Petr Pajas, All rights reserved.

=cut
