[XML-SIG] xmllib setliteral misfeature?

[Anders Qvist]

(I am not on the mailing list, so please reply accordingly.))

Consider if you will, the following program:

#!/usr/bin/python
from xmllib import XMLParser
class Parser (XMLParser):
    def __init__(self):
        XMLParser.__init__(self)
        self.feed("<jabber>123<tjipp>456</tjipp>789</jabber>")
    def unknown_starttag (self, tag, attributes):
        print "starttag " + tag
        self.setliteral()
    def unknown_endtag (self, tag):
        print "endtag " + tag
    def handle_data (self, data):
        print "data " + data
test = Parser()

According to xmllib doc, setliteral() is supposed to do the following:

   setliteral ()
          Enter literal mode (CDATA mode). This mode is automatically
          exited when the close tag matching the last unclosed open tag
          is encountered.

If I feed the XMLParser this "<jabber>123<tjipp>456</tjipp>789</jabber>"
and call setliteral() in unknown_starttag(), I interpret the above doc as
meaning that I should get the following output:

    starttag jabber
    data 123
    data <
    data tjipp>456
    data 654
    data <
    data /tjipp>
    data 789
    endtag jabber

Or something similar. I don't however. Rather I get the following:

    starttag jabber
    data 123
    data <
    data tjipp>456
    data 654
    endtag tjipp     <= Why call to unknown_endtag here?
    data 789
    endtag jabber

As you can see, the internal tag generates a call to unknown_endtag. This
does not seem to be in accordance with the docs. Is this a bug or am I
missing something? I'm using the Debian package for python, version
1.5.2-3.

Anders "Quest" Qvist
NetGuide Scandinavia

And we who listen to the sky, or walk the dusty grade,
Or break the very atoms down, to see how they are made,
Or study cells, or living things, seek truth with open hand;
The profoundest act of worship is to try to understand.

-- Catherine Faber, "The Word of God"