JSTL XML <x:parse> Tag

The <x:parse> tag is used for parse the XML data specified either in the tag body or an attribute. It is used for parse the xml content and the result will stored inside specified variable.

The syntax used for including the <x:parse> tag is:

Let's see the simple example to understand the xml <x:parse> tag:

Below examples represent how parse can be used for reading the external XML file and it can be parsed from the body of given document.

Let us put the following content in novels.xml file:

<books>
<book>
  <name>Three mistakes of my life</name>
  <author>Chetan Bhagat</author>
  <price>200</price>
</book>
<book>
  <name>Tomorrow land</name>
  <author>NUHA</author>
  <price>2000</price>
</book>
</books>

Now put the following content in index.jsp, keeping in the same directory:

<%@ taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" %>
<%@ taglib prefix="x" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/xml" %>

<html>
<head>
  <title>x:parse Tag</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Books Info:</h2>
<c:import var="bookInfo" url="novels.xml"/>

<x:parse xml="${bookInfo}" var="output"/>
<p>First Book title: <x:out select="$output/books/book[1]/name" /></p>
<p>First Book price: <x:out select="$output/books/book[1]/price" /></p>
<p>Second Book title: <x:out select="$output/books/book[2]/name" /></p>
<p>Second Book price: <x:out select="$output/books/book[2]/price" /></p>

</body>
</html>

Output: