Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Xerces VS Apache Xalan

Compare Apache Xerces VS Apache Xalan and see what are their differences

Apache Xerces logo Apache Xerces

Advanced XML parser, including support for XML Schema, DOM Level 2, and SAX.

Apache Xalan logo Apache Xalan

XML Databases
  • Apache Xerces Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-20
  • Apache Xalan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-17

Apache Xerces features and specs

  • Standards Compliance
    Apache Xerces is highly compliant with XML standards, including XML Schema, DOM, and SAX, which ensures robust processing and validation of XML documents.
  • Wide Language Support
    Xerces offers support for multiple programming languages, including Java, C++, and Perl, providing flexibility and integration in various development environments.
  • Community Support
    Being an Apache Software Foundation project, Xerces benefits from strong community support and regular updates, which enhances reliability and addresses security concerns.
  • Extensibility
    The library is designed to be extensible, allowing developers to customize its behavior and extend its capabilities to meet specific needs.
  • Open Source
    Xerces is open-source software, available for free under the Apache License, making it a cost-effective solution for both personal and commercial use.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Xerces

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and capabilities of Xerces can lead to increased complexity, which might be overwhelming for developers who need a simple XML solution.
  • Performance Overheads
    Due to its comprehensive feature set and strict standards compliance, Xerces might introduce performance overheads compared to simpler XML parsing libraries.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find Xerces challenging to learn, especially if they are not already familiar with XML and related technologies.
  • Limited Non-XML Functionality
    Xerces is specifically focused on XML parsing and validation, which means it lacks features for handling other types of data or file formats.
  • Deprecation and Maintenance
    Some aspects of the library may not be actively maintained or could become deprecated, potentially leading to compatibility and security issues over time.

Apache Xalan features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache Xalan is an open-source project, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This provides flexibility and reduces costs for enterprises and individual developers.
  • Standards Compliant
    Xalan is compliant with XSLT and XPath standards, ensuring that transformations are performed according to the specifications laid out by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    As a Java-based library, Xalan can run on any platform that supports Java, providing cross-platform flexibility for developers.
  • Mature and Stable
    Xalan has been around for many years, making it a mature and stable choice for XML transformations with a history of updates and community support.
  • Integration
    Xalan integrates well with other Apache projects and Java applications, making it a versatile choice for projects already using other components of the Apache ecosystem.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Xalan

  • Performance
    There are faster XSLT processors available, so Xalan might not be the best choice for applications requiring high-performance transformations.
  • Limited Features
    Compared to some proprietary tools, Xalan might lack certain advanced features or optimizations found in commercial XML processing libraries.
  • Deprecation Concerns
    The pace of updates can be slow, causing concerns about potential deprecation or lack of support for newer technologies in the future.
  • Complexity
    While powerful, Xalan can be complex for new users to learn and implement effectively, particularly those not already familiar with XML and XSLT.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, formal support is limited to community forums and documentation, which might not meet the needs of all users.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Xerces and Apache Xalan)
Task Management
55 55%
45% 45
Text Editors
53 53%
47% 47
Databases
53 53%
47% 47
NoSQL Databases
56 56%
44% 44

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache Xerces and Apache Xalan. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Xerces seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Xerces mentions (1)

  • What second language to learn after Python?
    Well, regarding HTML5, what I've found was libxml (does not support tag-soup HTML5), https://github.com/lexbor/lexbor, for which I was unable to find good documentation ( see https://lexbor.com/docs/lexbor/#dom), Apache Xerces (appears to not support tag-soup HTML5 as well), and Gumbo, which does not appear to be active and to support selectors and XPath (although there are libraries that add that). Source: almost 4 years ago

Apache Xalan mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Apache Xalan yet. Tracking of Apache Xalan recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Xerces and Apache Xalan, you can also consider the following products

MarkLogic - Schema-agnostic Enterprise NoSQL database technology, coupled w/ powerful search & flexible application services

Apache Anakia - XML Databases

Qizx - XML Databases

BaseX - BaseX is a very light-weight, high-performance and scalable XML Database engine and XPath/XQuery...

Apache Santuario - Apache Santuario - Index

eXistdb - High-performance native XML database engine and all-in-one solution for application building.