Re: Parsing an XML-like definition of an XML-like language to create a parser of the actual data in that language.

To the best of my recollection, Altova's free XMLSpy had a utility that would allow you to take either a DTD or an XML Schema (tools exist to go from DTD to Schema) and generate a small sample XML file that corresponds to that DTD/Schema. Whether such would be sufficient to generate a parser for that particular XML file, I cannot say.

However, you might have a larger problem. When I open your DTD in my installed version of XMLSpy, I get the following error:

This file is not well-formed:
% expected.
[download]

IMHO, you probably need to address this issue (hopefully just an error of copy & paste) before addressing larger issues of parsing DTDs, Schemas, or XML.

Since XML Schemas are themselves written in XML (and well-tested parsers already exist for XML), I would try (1) Fixing the error described above; (2) Converting DTD to XSD; (3) using an existing XML Parser on the result.

I have included a few links (unchecked to see if they are still "up"), that may be of use:

James Clark's trang

a Java-based translator

a Perl program that can translate DTDs to XSD, link 1

a Perl program that can translate DTDs to XSD, link 2

dtd2xs

HTH,

planetscape

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Re^2: Parsing an XML-like definition of an XML-like language to create a parser of the actual data in that language. by Moron (Curate) on Nov 20, 2006 at 11:27 UTC
Planetscape, thanks for taking so much trouble to map out a strategy, I will certainly start with making sure I have a DTD parser and a version of the DTD that work together bug-free and see where that gets me along the road you describe. The vendor also just warned me of a particular bug with the data so it´s going to be sort of fun even getting past step 1 of your plan, but I´ll give it a go. -M Free your mind	[reply]
Re^3: Parsing an XML-like definition of an XML-like language to create a parser of the actual data in that language. by planetscape (Chancellor) on Nov 20, 2006 at 14:09 UTC
Further reflection has prompted me to wonder if another of my collection of links might be of help.* As before, I warn you that these were collected some time ago, and I have not recently verified whether they might still be up; the Wayback Machine would be your best recourse if they are not. Anyway, basically this is a collection of links to software that generates XML Schema Documentation... Titanium's xs3p, by Zar Zar Tun xsddoc, by Kurt Riede xsddoc at sourceforge XSDDoc, by Thomas Chen product guide to XSDdoc 2.0 XML Schema for XML Schema SOAP Envelope <oXygen/> XML editor Xsdvalid DTDGenerator Frontend This might be the most interesting; my notes say it offers: DTD to XML Schema XML Document to XML Schema XML Document to DTD SAXON DTDGenerator - A tool to generate XML DTDs If you do decide to go in the Parse::RecDescent direction, I've posted every tutorial or reference I know of at Re: Some Parse::RecDescent Tutorials. As before, YMMV, but I do hope that it helps. * I bet no one around here knew I collected links, right? ;-) planetscape	[reply]