Hibernate and flat files (xml / CSV)

tmckinnon · **Joined:** Mon Nov 03, 2003 6:10 am **Posts:** 75

I was looking for some suggestions on a good (or suggested) way to utilize hibernate when working with text data files.

In my case I have to do a lot of work with cvs imports and exports. I initially found it very convenient to use HSQL with Hibernate to read from DB and read/write from/to (HSQL) CSV via hibernate. This has become increasingly difficult to maintain as the file formats change. HSQL is also a bit troublesome to work with, because it locks files etc. So basically I want to get away from it for a more elegant solution.

I am now considering using XSLT to convert to/from XML. I was wondering if there is a nice way to go between Hibernate and XML.

I have considered Castor XML but wanted to get some feedback first.

Thanks

Troy

tmckinnon · **Joined:** Mon Nov 03, 2003 6:10 am **Posts:** 75

After posting I found some details on the DataBinder and its marshalling features but it is 'experimental'.

http://www.hibernate.org/hib_docs/api/n ... inder.html

Curious if this ok to use now? And if there is any documentation on it. I looked in Hibernate in Action but found only a small reference to it on page 389.

Troy

tmckinnon · **Joined:** Mon Nov 03, 2003 6:10 am **Posts:** 75

Well, since no one has any helpful feedback.. I must push on.

Think I will be using Castor XML since the hibernate marshalling is minimal.

Paul Newport · **Posted:** Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:53 pm

tmckinnon wrote:

Well, since no one has any helpful feedback.. I must push on.

Think I will be using Castor XML since the hibernate marshalling is minimal.

Use hibernate for your object persistence API.
Use castor to convert your object model to XML and vice versa
use XSL to transform your XML into whatever.

I don't think your original question was very related to hibernate to be honest

tmckinnon · **Joined:** Mon Nov 03, 2003 6:10 am **Posts:** 75

I think it was very relavant since Hibernate does data binding and has some built in functionality to do unmarshaling. (DataBinder)

I would have preferred to use a pure Hibernate solution rather than having to now use Castor as well.

Paul Newport · **Posted:** Tue Feb 01, 2005 7:01 pm

tmckinnon wrote:

I think it was very relavant since Hibernate does data binding and has some built in functionality to do unmarshaling. (DataBinder)

I would have preferred to use a pure Hibernate solution rather than having to now use Castor as well.

OK, thats an area of hibernate I don't know about, so apologies. Having said that Castor XML is a very mature and functional api so its a good alternative.

dleal · **Posted:** Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:41 pm

Dear tmckinnon,

I have almoust the same problem like you, please you be contact with me in order to tell what was your finally solution and how do you design the solution using Castor?

Thanks in advance,

David Leal
achepati67@yahoo.es

Paul Newport · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:04 pm

dleal wrote:

Dear tmckinnon,

I have almoust the same problem like you, please you be contact with me in order to tell what was your finally solution and how do you design the solution using Castor?

Thanks in advance,

David Leal
achepati67@yahoo.es

Why not do what I suggested before:

populate your domain model via Hibernate.

use castor to create an XML representation of your loaded domain model instance.

use XSL to transform your XML to whatever ormat you want.

It's pretty easy to code all of this too.