CatalogResolver (Java SE 26 & JDK 26)
Description: declaration: module: java.xml, package: javax.xml.catalog, interface: CatalogResolver
Keywords: javax.xml.catalog.CatalogResolver interface

# Interface CatalogResolver

All Superinterfaces:
  `EntityResolver, LSResourceResolver, URIResolver, XMLResolver`

public interface CatalogResolver extends EntityResolver, XMLResolver, URIResolver, LSResourceResolver
A Catalog Resolver that implements SAX `EntityResolver`, StAX `XMLResolver`, DOM LS `LSResourceResolver` used by Schema Validation, and Transform `URIResolver`, and resolves external references using catalogs.

The Catalog Standard distinguished `external identifiers` from `uri entries` as being used to solely identify DTDs, while `uri entries` for other resources such as stylesheets and schema. The Java APIs, such as `XMLResolver` and `LSResourceResolver` however, make no such distinction. In consistent with the existing Java API, this CatalogResolver recognizes a system identifier as a URI and will search both `system` and `uri` entries in a catalog in order to find a matching entry.

The search is started in the current catalog. If a match is found, no further attempt will be made. Only if there is no match in the current catalog, will alternate catalogs including delegate and next catalogs be considered.

## Search Order

The resolver will first search the system-type of entries with the specified `systemId`. The system entries include `system`, `rewriteSystem` and `systemSuffix` entries.

If no match is found, `public` entries may be searched in accordance with the `prefer` attribute.

The `prefer` attribute: if the `prefer` is public, and there is no match found through the system entries, `public` entries will be considered. If it is not specified, the `prefer` is public by default (Note that by the OASIS standard, system entries will always be considered before public entries. Prefer public means that public entries will be matched when both system and public identifiers are specified. In general therefore, prefer public is recommended.)

If no match is found with the `systemId` and `public` identifier, the resolver will continue searching `uri` entries with the specified `systemId` or `href`. The `uri` entries include `uri`, `rewriteURI`, and `uriSuffix` entries.

## Error Handling

The interfaces that the CatalogResolver extend specified checked exceptions, including:

- `SAXException` and `IOException` by `EntityResolver.resolveEntity(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)`
- `XMLStreamException` by `XMLResolver.resolveEntity(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)`
- `TransformerException` by `URIResolver.resolve(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)`

The CatalogResolver however, will throw `CatalogException` only when `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` is specified as `strict`. For applications that expect to handle the checked Exceptions, it may be necessary to use a custom resolver to wrap the CatalogResolver or implement it with a `Catalog` object.

Since:
  9

- ## Nested Class Summary

  Nested Classes
  Modifier and Type
  Interface
  Description
  `static enum`
  `CatalogResolver.NotFoundAction`
  Defines the actions that a CatalogResolver may take when it is unable to resolve an external reference.

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `Source`
  `resolve(String href, String base)`
  Implements URIResolver.
  `InputSource`
  `resolveEntity(String publicId, String systemId)`
  Implements `EntityResolver`.
  `InputStream`
  `resolveEntity(String publicId, String systemId, String baseUri, String namespace)`
  Implements `XMLResolver`.
  `LSInput`
  `resolveResource(String type, String namespaceUri, String publicId, String systemId, String baseUri)`
  Implements `LSResourceResolver`.

- ## Method Details

  - ### resolveEntity

    InputSource resolveEntity(String publicId, String systemId)
    Implements `EntityResolver`. The method searches through the catalog entries in the main and alternative catalogs to attempt to find a match with the specified `publicId` or systemId.
    Specified by:
      `resolveEntity` in interface `EntityResolver`
    Parameters:
      `publicId` - the public identifier of the external entity being referenced, or null if none was supplied
      `systemId` - the system identifier of the external entity being referenced. A system identifier is required on all external entities. XML requires a system identifier on all external entities, so this value is always specified.
    Returns:
      a `InputSource` object if a mapping is found. If no mapping is found, returns a `InputSource` object containing an empty `Reader` if the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `ignore`; returns null if the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `continue`.
    Throws:
      `CatalogException` - if no mapping is found and `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` is specified as `strict`
    See Also:
      - `InputSource`

  - ### resolve

    Source resolve(String href, String base)
    Implements URIResolver. The method searches through the catalog entries in the main and alternative catalogs to attempt to find a match with the specified `href` attribute. The `href` attribute will be used literally, with no attempt to be made absolute to the `base`.

    If the value is a URN, the `href` attribute is recognized as a `publicId`, and used to search `public` entries. If the value is a URI, it is taken as a `systemId`, and used to search both `system` and `uri` entries.

    Specified by:
      `resolve` in interface `URIResolver`
    Parameters:
      `href` - the href attribute that specifies the URI of a style sheet, which may be relative or absolute
      `base` - The base URI against which the href attribute will be made absolute if the absolute URI is required
    Returns:
      a `Source` object if a mapping is found. If no mapping is found, returns an empty `Source` object if the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `ignore`; returns a `Source` object with the original URI (href, or href resolved with base if base is not null) if the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `continue`.
    Throws:
      `CatalogException` - if no mapping is found and `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` is specified as `strict`

  - ### resolveEntity

    InputStream resolveEntity(String publicId, String systemId, String baseUri, String namespace)
    Implements `XMLResolver`. For the purpose of resolving `publicId` and `systemId`, this method is equivalent to `resolveEntity(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)`.

    The `systemId` will be used literally, with no attempt to be made absolute to the `baseUri`. The `baseUri` and `namespace` are not used in the search for a match in a catalog. However, a relative `systemId` in an xml source may have been made absolute by the parser with the `baseURI`, thus making it unable to find a `system` entry. In such a case, a `systemSuffix` entry is recommended over a `system` entry.

    Specified by:
      `resolveEntity` in interface `XMLResolver`
    Parameters:
      `publicId` - the public identifier of the external entity being referenced, or null if none was supplied
      `systemId` - the system identifier of the external entity being referenced. A system identifier is required on all external entities. XML requires a system identifier on all external entities, so this value is always specified.
      `baseUri` - the absolute base URI, not used by the CatalogResolver
      `namespace` - the namespace of the entity to resolve, not used by the CatalogResolver.
    Returns:
      an `InputStream` object if a mapping is found; null if no mapping is found and the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `continue` or `ignore`. Note that for XMLResolver, it is not possible to ignore a reference, `ignore` is therefore treated the same as `continue`.
    Throws:
      `CatalogException` - if no mapping is found and `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` is specified as `strict`

  - ### resolveResource

    LSInput resolveResource(String type, String namespaceUri, String publicId, String systemId, String baseUri)
    Implements `LSResourceResolver`. For the purpose of resolving `publicId` and `systemId`, this method is equivalent to `resolveEntity(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)`.

    The `systemId` will be used literally, with no attempt to be made absolute to the `baseUri`. The `baseUri`, `namespaceUri` and `type` are not used in the search for a match in a catalog. However, a relative `systemId` in a source may have been made absolute by the parser with the `baseURI`, thus making it unable to find a `system` entry. In such a case, a `systemSuffix` entry is recommended over a `system` entry.

    Specified by:
      `resolveResource` in interface `LSResourceResolver`
    Parameters:
      `type` - the type of the resource being resolved, not used by the CatalogResolver
      `namespaceUri` - the namespace of the resource being resolved, not used by the CatalogResolver
      `publicId` - the public identifier of the external entity being referenced, or `null` if no public identifier was supplied or if the resource is not an entity.
      `systemId` - the system identifier, a URI reference of the external resource being referenced
      `baseUri` - the absolute base URI, not used by the CatalogResolver
    Returns:
      a `LSInput` object if a mapping is found; null if no mapping is found and the `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` property is set to `continue` or `ignore`. Note that for `LSResourceResolver`, it is not possible to ignore a reference, `ignore` is therefore treated the same as `continue`.
    Throws:
      `CatalogException` - if no mapping is found and `javax.xml.catalog.resolve` is specified as `strict`