Example: XML + XSL = HTML Using Servlet

[bpearce4827]

Hi all,
It took me a while to find the right way of doing this, and I thought I would share it since it has saved me quite a lot of time and effort. To transform XML to HTML using XSL using a servlet is surprisingly simple. (You need xalan.jar in your path):
(1) import org.apache.xalan.xslt.*;
(2) In your service method:
String sheet = "myStyleSheet.xsl";
String doc = "myXML.xml";
XSLTProcessor processor = XSLTProcessorFactory.getProcessor();
processor.process(new XSLTInputSource(new FileInputStream(doc)), new XSLTInputSource(new FileInputStream(sheet)), new XSLTResultTarget(res.getOutputStream()));
I have left out the try/catch block to save space. This example processes a XML file and stylesheet which are both files, but you can just as easily process using InputStreams from a URL, or some other source. In my application, I call a URL of another servelt on the same server, which returns back a dynamic XML document each time, based un URL parameters.
Have fun!
Bill

[sakthiusa]

Hi,
U r having a very nice stuff.
Could u please post the whole code.
Thanks in advance,
sakthi

[Bill Pearce]

As requested, here is my complete service method for using a URL to another servlet as the source of your XML document:

public void service(javax.servlet.ServletRequest req, javax.servlet.ServletResponse res)
throws javax.servlet.ServletException, java.io.IOException
{
  // Open a URL to hostname on portNumber, and get file
  URL xmlURL = new URL("http", hostname, portNumber, file);
  InputStream in = xmlURL.openStream();
  // The stylesheet to be used is a passed as a parameter in 
  // the URL
  String sheet = req.getParameter("st") + ".xsl";

  // Transform
  try {
    XSLTProcessor processor = XSLTProcessorFactory.getProcessor();

    processor.process(new XSLTInputSource(in),
       new XSLTInputSource(new FileInputStream(sheet)),
       new XSLTResultTarget(res.getOutputStream()));

  } catch (Exception e) {
    PrintWriter out = res.getWriter();
    out.println("Error: " + e);
    out.close();
  }
return;

Hope this helps,
Bill
[This message has been edited by Bill Pearce (edited September 19, 2000).]

[Anonymous]

Can u tell me from where to get xalan.jar ?

[Brent Worden]

You should be able to download xalan at http://xml.apache.org/

------------------
Brent Worden
http://www.Brent.Worden.org/

[Shark Kan]

Hello folks,
I was wondering where cand I find a full example of using servlets for processing XML files to transform them in HTML with XSL.
I want to implement a catalog with books in XML and I want a servlet to read that XML file and put on the web the HTML file with XSL. I downloaded xalan form apache but their example about servlets doesn't show the right things to do what I want.In fact it's a no use example.
Can you help me?
Thank you,
Bogdan

[Ajith Kallambella]

Bogdan,
Checkout the Cocoon framework by Apache. It is an integrated framework that has a servlet engine, a parser and an XSLT engine that seamlessly transform an XML into HTML formats.
Good luck,
------------------
Ajith Kallambella M.
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java�2 Platform.
IBM Certified Developer - XML and Related Technologies, V1.

[Shark Kan]

Thanx , I'll see that.
Bogdan

[shailesh sonavadekar]

Sakthiusa , Welcome to javaranch.
PROPER NAMES ARE NOW REQUIRED
Please check out the official naming policy of javaranch. Please reregister yourself with proper first & last name & help maintain the decorum of the forum.

Your Friendly Bartender
Shailesh

[Darryl Andrew]

Originally posted by Bill Pearce:
[B]As requested, here is my complete service method for using a URL to another servlet as the source of your XML document:

public void service(javax.servlet.ServletRequest req, javax.servlet.ServletResponse res)
throws javax.servlet.ServletException, java.io.IOException
{
  // Open a URL to hostname on portNumber, and get file
  URL xmlURL = new URL("http", hostname, portNumber, file);
  InputStream in = xmlURL.openStream();
  // The stylesheet to be used is a passed as a parameter in 
  // the URL
  String sheet = req.getParameter("st") + ".xsl";

  // Transform
  try {
    XSLTProcessor processor = XSLTProcessorFactory.getProcessor();

    processor.process(new XSLTInputSource(in),
       new XSLTInputSource(new FileInputStream(sheet)),
       new XSLTResultTarget(res.getOutputStream()));

  } catch (Exception e) {
    PrintWriter out = res.getWriter();
    out.println("Error: " + e);
    out.close();
  }
return;

Hope this helps,
Bill
[This message has been edited by Bill Pearce (edited September 19, 2000).][/B]

Hi, i have no problem when i compiled the java program but encountered the below error when using my browser to view the servlet.
Error: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.xalan.xslt.XSLTProcessorFactory
PLs help. I have already set my classpath to xalan.jar and xerces.jar.
I'm using Xalan on manta-Linus. Thanx.

[Ajith Kallambella]

Try moving the jar files to JREROOT\lib\ext directory.

[Darryl Andrew]

Originally posted by Ajith Kallambella:
Try moving the jar files to JREROOT\lib\ext directory.

Hi, thanx for the reply. I have solved the problem by specifying the CLASSPATH in the tomcat conf files, tomcat.sh or jspc.sh

[Darryl Andrew]

looks like the whole bunch of code do not work in xalan2 anymore.
Anybody has any luck working with xalan2 using TransformerFactory??