python handle endless XML

Question

I am working on a application, and my job just is to develop a sample Python interface for the application. The application can provide XML-based document, I can get the document via HTTP Get method, but the problem is the XML-based document is endless which means there will be no end element. I know that the document should be handled by SAX, but how to deal with the endless problem? Any idea, sample code?

Answer 1

This is what I use for parsing an endless xml stream which I get from a remote computer (in my case I connect over a socket and use socket.makefile('r') to create the file object)

19.12.2. IncrementalParser Objects

parser = xml.sax.make_parser(['xml.sax.IncrementalParser'])
handler = FooHandler()
parser.setContentHandler(handler)

data = sockfile.readline()
while ( len(data) != 0 ):
    parser.feed(data)
    data = sockfilefile.readline()