xmlcatalog

Name

xmlcatalog — Command line tool to parse and manipulate XML or SGML catalog files.

Synopsis

xmlcatalog [ --sgml | --shell | --create | --del VALUE(S) | [ --add TYPE ORIG REPLACE | --add FILENAME ] | --noout | --no-super-update | [ -v | --verbose ] ] {CATALOGFILE} {ENTITIES...}

DESCRIPTION

xmlcatalog is a command line application allowing users to monitor and manipulate XML and SGML catalogs. It is included in libxml(3).

Its functions can be invoked from a single command from the command line, or it can perform multiple functions in interactive mode. It can operate on both XML and SGML files.

OPTIONS

xmlcatalog accepts the following options (in alphabetical order):

--add TYPE ORIG REPLACE: Add an entry to CATALOGFILE. TYPE indicates the type of entry. Possible types are: public, system, uri, rewriteSystem, rewriteURI, delegatePublic, delegateSystem, delegateURI, nextCatalog. ORIG is the original reference to be replaced, and REPLACE is the URI of the replacement entity to be used. The --add option will not overwrite CATALOGFILE, outputting to stdout, unless --noout is used. The --add will always take three parameters even if some of the XML catalog constructs will have only a single argument.
--add FILENAME: If the --add option is used following the --sgml option, only a single argument, a FILENAME, is used. This is used to add the name of a catalog file to an SGML supercatalog, a file that contains references to other included SGML catalog files.
--create: Create a new XML catalog. Outputs to stdout, ignoring filename unless --noout is used, in which case it creates a new catalog file filename.
--del VALUE(S): Remove entries from CATALOGFILE matching VALUE(S). The --del option will not overwrite CATALOGFILE, outputting to stdout, unless --noout is used.
--noout: Save output to the named file rather than outputting to stdout.
--no-super-update: Do not update the SGML super catalog.
--shell: Run a shell allowing interactive queries on catalog file CATALOGFILE. For the set of available commands see the section called “SHELL COMMANDS”.
--sgml: Uses SGML super catalogs for --add and --del options.
-v, --verbose: Output debugging information.

Invoking xmlcatalog non-interactively without a designated action (imposed with options like --add) will result in a lookup of the catalog entry for ENTITIES in the catalog denoted with CATALOGFILE. The corresponding entries will be output to the command line. This mode of operation, together with --shell mode and non-modifying (i.e. without --noout) direct actions, allows for a special shortcut of the void CATALOGFILE specification (possibly expressed as "" in the shell environment) appointing the default system catalog. That simplifies the handling when its exact location is irrelevant but the respective built-in still needs to be consulted.

SHELL COMMANDS

Invoking xmlcatalog with the --shell CATALOGFILE option opens a command line shell allowing interactive access to the catalog file identified by CATALOGFILE. Invoking the shell provides a command line prompt after which the following commands (described in alphabetical order) can be entered.

add TYPE ORIG REPLACE: Add an entry to the catalog file. TYPE indicates the type of entry. Possible types are: public, system, uri, rewriteSystem, rewriteURI, delegatePublic, delegateSystem, delegateURI, nextCatalog. ORIG is the original reference to be replaced, and REPLACE is the URI of the replacement entity to be used. The --add option will not overwrite CATALOGFILE, outputting to stdout, unless --noout is used. The --add will always take three parameters even if some of the XML catalog constructs will have only a single argument.
debug: Print debugging statements showing the steps xmlcatalog is executing.
del VALUE(S): Remove the catalog entry corresponding to VALUE(S).
dump: Print the current catalog.
exit: Quit the shell.
public PUBLIC-ID: Execute a Formal Public Identifier lookup of the catalog entry for PUBLIC-ID. The corresponding entry will be output to the command line.
quiet: Stop printing debugging statements.
system SYSTEM-ID: Execute a Formal Public Identifier lookup of the catalog entry for SYSTEM-ID. The corresponding entry will be output to the command line.

ENVIRONMENT

XML_CATALOG_FILES: XML catalog behavior can be changed by redirecting queries to the user's own set of catalogs. This can be done by setting the XML_CATALOG_FILES environment variable to a space-separated list of catalogs. Use percent-encoding to escape spaces or other characters. An empty variable should deactivate loading the default /etc/xml/catalog catalog.

DIAGNOSTICS

xmlcatalog return codes provide information that can be used when calling it from scripts.

0: No error
1: Failed to remove an entry from the catalog
2: Failed to save to the catalog, check file permissions
3: Failed to add an entry to the catalog
4: Failed to look up an entry in the catalog