[boost] Standard c++ XML parser API (Boost.XML)

Subject: [boost] Standard c++ XML parser API (Boost.XML)
From: Saksham Maheshwari (sam21.zero_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-03-08 15:03:00

Hey guys,

As part of this year's GSOC, I am interested in developing a Standard c++
XML parser for Boost (Boost.XML project in Ideas Page).

What I have encountered till now, there are many libraries which could be
used for parsing XML file, but there is no Standard XML API in c++ to do
the same, contrary to other languages like Java or python. I think this is
an appropriate place to discuss about this API and then develop it.

Since a past couple of days, I have been reading and understanding the
existing Boost.xml (sandbox project) and Arabica project. What I think now
is that there is no need to develop such an API from scratch, it would just
be a wastage of our resources, else we could use the existing codes to
develop such an API.

We can use multiple backends supported in Arabica API and merge it with out
existing Boost.XML to make such a standard API, so that it can adapted to a
wide range of existing XML libraries.

Also, the SAX implementation of Boost.XML has to be changed and it has to
be implemented/modified (i.e. reader API), comparing it with Arabica::SAX.

DOM API is working very fine.

So, according to me, the possible tasks will be
1. To enhance or change the SAX implementation of Boost.XML
2. To provide multiple backends to this API.

But for now, I want to know what you guys think about the idea.

Thanks,
Saksham Maheshwari

PS: I want to develop an API, not a library :-)