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(python2.1-lib.info)minidom and the DOM standard

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minidom and the DOM standard
----------------------------

The `xml.dom.minidom' module is essentially a DOM 1.0-compatible DOM
with some DOM 2 features (primarily namespace features).

Usage of the DOM interface in Python is straight-forward.  The
following mapping rules apply:

   * Interfaces are accessed through instance objects. Applications
     should not instantiate the classes themselves; they should use the
     creator functions available on the `Document' object.  Derived
     interfaces support all operations (and attributes) from the base
     interfaces, plus any new operations.

   * Operations are used as methods. Since the DOM uses only `in'
     parameters, the arguments are passed in normal order (from left to
     right).   There are no optional arguments. `void' operations
     return `None'.

   * IDL attributes map to instance attributes. For compatibility with
     the OMG IDL language mapping for Python, an attribute `foo' can
     also be accessed through accessor methods `_get_foo()' and
     `_set_foo()'.  `readonly' attributes must not be changed; this is
     not enforced at runtime.

   * The types `short int', `unsigned int', `unsigned long long', and
     `boolean' all map to Python integer objects.

   * The type `DOMString' maps to Python strings.  `xml.dom.minidom'
     supports either byte or Unicode strings, but will normally produce
     Unicode strings.  Attributes of type `DOMString' may also be
     `None'.

   * `const' declarations map to variables in their respective scope
     (e.g. `xml.dom.minidom.Node.PROCESSING_INSTRUCTION_NODE'); they
     must not be changed.

   * `DOMException' is currently not supported in `xml.dom.minidom'.
     Instead, `xml.dom.minidom' uses standard Python exceptions such as
     `TypeError' and `AttributeError'.

   * `NodeList' objects are implemented as Python's built-in list type,
     so don't support the official API, but are much more "Pythonic."

The following interfaces have no implementation in `xml.dom.minidom':

   * DOMTimeStamp

   * DocumentType (added in Python 2.1)

   * DOMImplementation (added in Python 2.1)

   * CharacterData

   * CDATASection

   * Notation

   * Entity

   * EntityReference

   * DocumentFragment

Most of these reflect information in the XML document that is not of
general utility to most DOM users.