[jdom-interest] setText() to replace children?

[bob mcwhirter]

On Wed, 11 Jul 2001, Bart Read wrote:

> I have to broadly agree with Alex Rosen on this one.  getText() should just
> get the text, possibly throwing a RuntimeException if there is mixed
> content.  If you want all of the content you should use getContent().  I
> think the function that setText() should perform is more open to debate.  

Figured I'd finally chime in...

Everything, from Elements which have only text, to Elements which have
mixed content, has a textual representation, which is use heartily in
xpaths.

  <a>
    I like <b>cheese</b>
  </a>

The text, in xpath realms of thinking, is "\nI like cheese\n"
It's a recursive evaluation of the text of all descendants.

I certainly don't think that setText(...) should be recursive,
so for symmetry, getText() should not be either.

But, there is obviously a call from some folks to have a recursive-esque
getText() functionality.

So, maybe a getXPathText(), or a getText(boolean recurse).

	String getText() 
	{ 
	    return getText(false); 
	}

	String getText(boolean recurse) 
	{ 
	    if ( ! recurse ) 
	    { 
	        return this.text;
	    }

	    ... return complex recursive assembly of text ...
	}


-bob