[Vortex] [ANN] Axl Library 0.3.0 is ready!

Wed Dec 6 20:26:55 CET 2006

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          # Axl Library release note: 0.3.0 #
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Advanced Software Production Line is proud to announce a new Axl
Library release.

Axl Library is an small and efficient XML toolkit, that will allow you
to produce efficient and clear code that interfaces with XML data.

The library was produced to support XML requirements needed by
software developed by Advanced Software Production Line, S.L. 

At this moment the library is being used by Vortex Library,
Af-Arch, Shaper and Fovap.

Resources
~~~~~~~~~
   Axl Homepage
   [ http://xml.aspl.es ]

   Advanced Software Production Line, S.L.
   [ http://www.aspl.es ]

   Memory report for this release
   [ http://xml.aspl.es/memory-report-0.3.0.html ]

This release in short
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  This is the first release where Axl Library is faster than LibXML,
  using our reference tests, while consuming less memory.

  This release includes a new memory allocator (that works
  transparently to the developer) which has increased memory
  performance, reduced execution time and reduced the amount of
  administrative memory consumed by the library. 

  See the following report to see its exceptional results:

   [ http://xml.aspl.es/memory-report-0.3.0.html ]

  Improved API including new functions to place content just after an
  item selected as a reference, changing xml nodes and some fixes
  while parsing documents with empty nodes.

Changes from previous release 0.2.7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* [fix] Fixed a bug which was causing to place content found next to a
  xml empty node. Added a new regression test to check this.

* [fix] Moved axl_stream_trim and axl_stream_trim_with_size to the axl
  strings handling section.

* [new] Added new functions to create axlItem:

   - axl_item_new
   - axl_item_new_ref

* [fix] Fixed axl_doc_are_equal function which was only checking that
  both documents share the same xml node structure but not content in
  the middle of each node (mixed content). Now the function checks
  every item found.

* [new] Added a new function that allows performing an equal check
  considering the content trimmed (without white spaces starting and
  ending the content being checked).

   - axl_doc_are_equal_trimmed

* [new] Moved to the public API
  __axl_node_content_have_not_valid_sequences to
  axl_node_has_invalid_chars, which allows to check if the provided
  check has invalid chars (;, &, ', <, ", >). Added regression test to
  check this.

* [fix] Added new functions to the axl node module to check if a
  particular node has an attribute with a particular value. API added:

    - axl_node_has_attribute_value
    - HAS_ATTR_VALUE 

* [fix] committing missing test files (test_23.xml and test_23b.xml).

* [new] New macros added to the axl node module. API added:

   - HAS_ATTR
   - ATTR_VALUE

* [new] Making axlItem to be allocated through a factory which
  allocates blocks of axlItems rather mallocing every single item,
  reducing the heap-admin memory used.

* [fix] Added new module to implement item factory allocation.

* [new] Added two new functions to allow updating xml node name value:

   - axl_node_set_name
   - axl_node_set_name_ref

* [new] General update to include support for an axl string factory,
  at the axl factory module, which allows to implement an efficient
  memory allocation pattern, according to the Axl Library function, to
  alloc strings.

* [new] Updated axl stream module to include support for an external
  module to configure its allocation function. API added:

   - axlStreamAlloc (handler)
   - axl_stream_set_buffer_alloc

* [fix] Updated axl doc module to use new feature from axl stream to
  change its allocator function, and used the axl string factory to
  allocate the xml node names and its attributes (key and
  values). With this change, and previous ones, axl library test
  reference (test_01a) executes in 0.049s...  GREAT!!!!! Now axl is as
  fast as LibXML but much more memory efficient!!

* [fix] Added a new function to the axl item API which allows
  configure more content after a selected axl item (used as a
  reference):

    - axl_item_set_after

* [fix] Making node content to be also allocated through the string
  factory.  Reimplemented axl document node closing parsing, improving
  test_01 and test_01a performance 3%. Now axl library is a bit faster
  than LibXML (0.045ms), Axl (0.0.44ms).

* [fix] Making memory allocated for hold attribute nodes and xml node
  content to be handled through axlFactory, reducing number of alloc
  operations pairs (alloc/free) from 34088 to 8803!! (test_01) and
  14663 to 2076!!  Execution due to previous changes makes Axl to be
  faster LibXml (around 10% faster, 98% less allocs pairs operations
  and around 2.5 times memory efficient.  GREAT!!!!)

About Advanced Software Production Line, S.L.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Advanced Software Production Line is leading the Af-Arch project: a
  complete framework to develop distributed application to manage
  enterprise process.

  Af-Arch project uses Axl library to support its XML requirements
  while exchanging data between nodes.

  Advanced Software Production Line also provides GNU/Linux support
  and consulting services to enable organization to introduce
  GNU/Linux inside its process, making other platforms to interact
  with GNU/Linux.

  Contact us, using English or Spanish, to get commercial support
  and/or XML based development services.

  You can reach us:

       http://www.aspl.es - info at aspl.es

  We hope Axl Library help you. Enjoy Axl Library!

--
Francis Brosnan Blázquez           - francis at aspl.es
Advanced Software Production Line  - http://www.aspl.es
6th Dec 2006, Madrid (Spain)