ROXML versus simple to_xml

rubyonrails-talk
1

How they differ?

Does the to_xml method of the classes array/hash/object is based on ROXML lib? As I see in http://roxml.rubyforge.org/#quickstart, roxml needs we define the class (class Book in the guide) before to convert a object to xml. Moreover, the method to_xml (when not using "include ROXML") just accepts any existing object, what is much suitable.

I need to compare and tranfer some records between local and remote systems periodically. The tables (mysql) has simple varchar/integer/ date/decimal types. Which type of xml mapping is recommended to achieve this task? ROXML or pure to_xml method?

Thank you!

2

How they differ?

Does the to_xml method of the classes array/hash/object is based on ROXML lib? As I see in http://roxml.rubyforge.org/#quickstart, roxml needs we define the class (class Book in the guide) before to convert a object to xml. Moreover, the method to_xml (when not using "include ROXML") just accepts any existing object, what is much suitable.

roxml is trying to solve a more general problem - if you models aren't
activerecord models then they are not going to have a particularly
useful to_xml on it (the time i used it was generated xml to pass to a
webservice)

It's also pretty handy for parsing incoming xml.

Fred

3

roxml is trying to solve a more general problem - if you models aren't
activerecord models then they are not going to have a particularly
useful to_xml on it (the time i used it was generated xml to pass to a
webservice)

Sorry my bad english. I`m not sure if I understood your answer. My model is activerecord based, but has just simple attributes (strings, integers, dates). Do you mean I don`t need ROXML in this simple case? The non- roxml to_xml/from_xml methods can do the job?

4

roxml is trying to solve a more general problem - if you models
aren't activerecord models then they are not going to have a particularly useful to_xml on it (the time i used it was generated xml to pass
to a webservice)

Sorry my bad english. I`m not sure if I understood your answer. My model is activerecord based, but has just simple attributes (strings, integers, dates). Do you mean I don`t need ROXML in this simple case? The non- roxml to_xml/from_xml methods can do the job?

I would have though to_xml/from_xml would be quite enough here.

Fred

5

ok, thank you very much!! I will try it.

Anyway, What are the "more general problem" you said?

6

ok, thank you very much!! I will try it.

Anyway, What are the "more general problem" you said?

Just the more general case of mapping xml fragments to objects.

Fred