unable to read value from XML file

[Veena Pointi]

<TABLES>
<TABLE name="GIFT_CERTIFICATE_TYPE">
<COLUMN>
GC_TYPE
</COLUMN>
</TABLE>
</TABLES>


This is my XML file.I am trying to print value of tag <COLUMN> which is GC_TYPE with following code.

NodeList nodeList = tableNode.getElementsByTagName("COLUMN");

for(int i=0;i<nodeList.getLength();i++){
Node node1 = nodeList.item(i);
//String str = ((Text)node1).getData().trim();
System.out.println("NodeType " + node1.getNodeType());
String str = node1.getNodeValue();
System.out.println("Column1 "+str);
}

It is displaying
NodeType 1
Column1 null

Why is it ot displaying right value of <COLUMN>?Am I missing something?

Here is dtd

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--DTD generated by XMLSPY v2004 rel. 4 U (http://www.xmlspy.com)-->
<!ELEMENT TABLES (TABLE*)>
<!ELEMENT TABLE (COLUMN*)>
<!ATTLIST TABLE
name ID #REQUIRED
>

<!ELEMENT COLUMN (#PCDATA)>
<!ATTLIST COLUMN
ID ID #REQUIRED
>

I am a beginer.Trying to learn XML...

Thanks
Veena

[Nathaniel Stoddard]

Does the COLUMN node have any children nodes? If it has one, what would the value and type of that node be? Try it out and see what happens.

[Veena Pointi]

in API I saw node types defined as constants,but couldn't make out what are there values,where can I find values for them?And I need to know where I am wrong in my code?Coz I am thinking on this from long time ,.....everything looks straight forward.

[William Brogden]

This is a common mistake. The value you want is in the child node of <COLUMN>
<COLUMN> is an Element node - the nodeValue() of an Element node is always null - the Element has a single child node of type Node.TEXT_NODE
There is an excellent table in the org.w3c.dom.Node JavaDocs that summarizes all of the node types. SO -
String val = node1.getFirstChild().getNodeValue() ;
You might want to .trim() the resulting String since it will start with crlf and end with crlf.
Bill

[Veena Pointi]

Thank you william.I figured it out and got the solution.I knew I was doing some silly mistake.Thanks for the info.