http://xml.apache.org/commons/components/external/: xml-commons provides an Apache-hosted set of DOM, SAX, and JAXP interfaces for use in other xml-based projects. Our hope is that we can standardize on both a common version and packaging scheme for these critical XML standards interfaces to make the lives of both our developers and users easier. The External Components portion of xml-commons contains interfaces that are defined by external standards organizations. For DOM, that's the W3C; for SAX it's David Megginson and sax.sourceforge.net; for JAXP it's Sun. 
/*
 * Copyright (c) 2004 World Wide Web Consortium,
 *
 * (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Research Consortium for
 * Informatics and Mathematics, Keio University). All Rights Reserved. This
 * work is distributed under the W3C(r) Software License [1] in the hope that
 * it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
 * warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 *
 * [1] http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/2002/copyright-software-20021231
 */

package org.w3c.dom;


The CharacterData interface extends Node with a set of 
attributes and methods for accessing character data in the DOM. For 
clarity this set is defined here rather than on each object that uses 
these attributes and methods. No DOM objects correspond directly to 
CharacterData, though Text and others do 
inherit the interface from it. All offsets in this interface 
start from 0.

As explained in the DOMString interface, text strings in 
the DOM are represented in UTF-16, i.e. as a sequence of 16-bit units. In 
the following, the term 16-bit units is used whenever necessary to 
indicate that indexing on CharacterData is done in 16-bit units.

See also the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 Core Specification.

/**
 * The <code>CharacterData</code> interface extends Node with a set of 
 * attributes and methods for accessing character data in the DOM. For 
 * clarity this set is defined here rather than on each object that uses 
 * these attributes and methods. No DOM objects correspond directly to 
 * <code>CharacterData</code>, though <code>Text</code> and others do 
 * inherit the interface from it. All <code>offsets</code> in this interface 
 * start from <code>0</code>.
 * <p>As explained in the <code>DOMString</code> interface, text strings in 
 * the DOM are represented in UTF-16, i.e. as a sequence of 16-bit units. In 
 * the following, the term 16-bit units is used whenever necessary to 
 * indicate that indexing on CharacterData is done in 16-bit units.
 * <p>See also the <a href='http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-DOM-Level-3-Core-20040407'>Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 Core Specification</a>.
 */
public interface CharacterData extends Node {
    
The character data of the node that implements this interface. The DOM 
implementation may not put arbitrary limits on the amount of data 
that may be stored in a CharacterData node. However, 
implementation limits may mean that the entirety of a node's data may 
not fit into a single DOMString. In such cases, the user 
may call substringData to retrieve the data in 
appropriately sized pieces.

Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  DOMSTRING_SIZE_ERR: Raised when it would return more characters than 
  fit in a DOMString variable on the implementation 
  platform.
/**
     * The character data of the node that implements this interface. The DOM 
     * implementation may not put arbitrary limits on the amount of data 
     * that may be stored in a <code>CharacterData</code> node. However, 
     * implementation limits may mean that the entirety of a node's data may 
     * not fit into a single <code>DOMString</code>. In such cases, the user 
     * may call <code>substringData</code> to retrieve the data in 
     * appropriately sized pieces.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   DOMSTRING_SIZE_ERR: Raised when it would return more characters than 
     *   fit in a <code>DOMString</code> variable on the implementation 
     *   platform.
     */
    public String getData()
                            throws DOMException;
    
The character data of the node that implements this interface. The DOM 
implementation may not put arbitrary limits on the amount of data 
that may be stored in a CharacterData node. However, 
implementation limits may mean that the entirety of a node's data may 
not fit into a single DOMString. In such cases, the user 
may call substringData to retrieve the data in 
appropriately sized pieces.

Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised when the node is readonly.
/**
     * The character data of the node that implements this interface. The DOM 
     * implementation may not put arbitrary limits on the amount of data 
     * that may be stored in a <code>CharacterData</code> node. However, 
     * implementation limits may mean that the entirety of a node's data may 
     * not fit into a single <code>DOMString</code>. In such cases, the user 
     * may call <code>substringData</code> to retrieve the data in 
     * appropriately sized pieces.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised when the node is readonly.
     */
    public void setData(String data)
                            throws DOMException;

    
The number of 16-bit units that are available through data 
and the substringData method below. This may have the 
value zero, i.e., CharacterData nodes may be empty.

/**
     * The number of 16-bit units that are available through <code>data</code> 
     * and the <code>substringData</code> method below. This may have the 
     * value zero, i.e., <code>CharacterData</code> nodes may be empty.
     */
    public int getLength();

    
Extracts a range of data from the node.

Params:
  • offset – Start offset of substring to extract.
  • count – The number of 16-bit units to extract.
Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified offset is 
  negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
  data, or if the specified count is 
  negative.
  
    DOMSTRING_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified range of text does 
  not fit into a DOMString.
Returns:The specified substring. If the sum of offset and 
  count exceeds the length, then all 16-bit 
  units to the end of the data are returned.
/**
     * Extracts a range of data from the node.
     * @param offset Start offset of substring to extract.
     * @param count The number of 16-bit units to extract.
     * @return The specified substring. If the sum of <code>offset</code> and 
     *   <code>count</code> exceeds the <code>length</code>, then all 16-bit 
     *   units to the end of the data are returned.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified <code>offset</code> is 
     *   negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
     *   <code>data</code>, or if the specified <code>count</code> is 
     *   negative.
     *   <br>DOMSTRING_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified range of text does 
     *   not fit into a <code>DOMString</code>.
     */
    public String substringData(int offset, 
                                int count)
                                throws DOMException;

    
Append the string to the end of the character data of the node. Upon 
success, data provides access to the concatenation of 
data and the DOMString specified.

Params:
  • arg – The DOMString to append.
Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
/**
     * Append the string to the end of the character data of the node. Upon 
     * success, <code>data</code> provides access to the concatenation of 
     * <code>data</code> and the <code>DOMString</code> specified.
     * @param arg The <code>DOMString</code> to append.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
     */
    public void appendData(String arg)
                           throws DOMException;

    
Insert a string at the specified 16-bit unit offset.

Params:
  • offset – The character offset at which to insert.
  • arg – The DOMString to insert.
Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified offset is 
  negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
  data.
  
    NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
/**
     * Insert a string at the specified 16-bit unit offset.
     * @param offset The character offset at which to insert.
     * @param arg The <code>DOMString</code> to insert.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified <code>offset</code> is 
     *   negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
     *   <code>data</code>.
     *   <br>NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
     */
    public void insertData(int offset, 
                           String arg)
                           throws DOMException;

    
Remove a range of 16-bit units from the node. Upon success, 
data and length reflect the change.

Params:
  • offset – The offset from which to start removing.
  • count – The number of 16-bit units to delete. If the sum of 
  offset and count exceeds 
  length then all 16-bit units from offset 
  to the end of the data are deleted.
Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified offset is 
  negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
  data, or if the specified count is 
  negative.
  
    NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
/**
     * Remove a range of 16-bit units from the node. Upon success, 
     * <code>data</code> and <code>length</code> reflect the change.
     * @param offset The offset from which to start removing.
     * @param count The number of 16-bit units to delete. If the sum of 
     *   <code>offset</code> and <code>count</code> exceeds 
     *   <code>length</code> then all 16-bit units from <code>offset</code> 
     *   to the end of the data are deleted.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified <code>offset</code> is 
     *   negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
     *   <code>data</code>, or if the specified <code>count</code> is 
     *   negative.
     *   <br>NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
     */
    public void deleteData(int offset, 
                           int count)
                           throws DOMException;

    
Replace the characters starting at the specified 16-bit unit offset 
with the specified string.

Params:
  • offset – The offset from which to start replacing.
  • count – The number of 16-bit units to replace. If the sum of 
  offset and count exceeds 
  length, then all 16-bit units to the end of the data 
  are replaced; (i.e., the effect is the same as a remove
   method call with the same range, followed by an append
   method invocation).
  • arg – The DOMString with which the range must be 
  replaced.
Throws:
  • DOMException – 
  INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified offset is 
  negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
  data, or if the specified count is 
  negative.
  
    NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
/**
     * Replace the characters starting at the specified 16-bit unit offset 
     * with the specified string.
     * @param offset The offset from which to start replacing.
     * @param count The number of 16-bit units to replace. If the sum of 
     *   <code>offset</code> and <code>count</code> exceeds 
     *   <code>length</code>, then all 16-bit units to the end of the data 
     *   are replaced; (i.e., the effect is the same as a <code>remove</code>
     *    method call with the same range, followed by an <code>append</code>
     *    method invocation).
     * @param arg The <code>DOMString</code> with which the range must be 
     *   replaced.
     * @exception DOMException
     *   INDEX_SIZE_ERR: Raised if the specified <code>offset</code> is 
     *   negative or greater than the number of 16-bit units in 
     *   <code>data</code>, or if the specified <code>count</code> is 
     *   negative.
     *   <br>NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR: Raised if this node is readonly.
     */
    public void replaceData(int offset, 
                            int count, 
                            String arg)
                            throws DOMException;

}