XML::Filter::Sort::Buffer 1.01

XML::Filter::Sort::Buffer is an implementation class used by XML::Filter::Sort.

The documentation is targetted at developers wishing to extend or replace this class. For user documentation, see XML::Filter::Sort.

For an overview of the classes and methods used for buffering, see XML::Filter::Sort::BufferMgr.

BUFFER LIFE CYCLE

A XML::Filter::Sort::Buffer object is created by a XML::Filter::Sort::BufferMgr object using the new() method.

The XML::Filter::Sort object will then propagate any SAX events it receives, to the buffer object until the end of the record is reached. As each element is added to the buffer, its contents are compared to the sort key paths and the sort key values are extracted.

When the end of the record is reached, the close() method is called. The return value from this method is the list of sort keys.

The buffer manager will store the buffer until the end of the record sequence is reached. Then it will retrieve each buffer in order of the sort key values and call the buffers to_sax() method to send all buffered events to the downstream handler.

Following the call to to_sax(), the buffer is discarded. No destructor method is used - everything is handled by Perls garbage collector.