Java: How to display an XML file in a JTree

Question

I would like to have a way to display the contents of an XML file in a JTree. I have already accomplished this using DOM, by implementing a custom TreeModel (and TreeCellRenderer). However it is very clunky (much workaround-ery and hackery) and rather rough around the edges.

Is anyone aware of a way to get a JTree to display the contents of an XML file, parsed with SAX?

Thanks!

Yearwood

Answer 1

Here's the code that I use. It is based on the API of Dom4J, but you can easily convert it to the APIs of your favorite XML library:

public JTree build(String pathToXml) throws Exception {
     SAXReader reader = new SAXReader();
     Document doc = reader.read(pathToXml);
     return new JTree(build(doc.getRootElement()));
}

public DefaultMutableTreeNode build(Element e) {
   DefaultMutableTreeNode result = new DefaultMutableTreeNode(e.getText());
   for(Object o : e.elements()) {
      Element child = (Element) o;
      result.add(build(child));
   }

   return result;         
}

Breughel