XML won't validate

[matthisco]

Hi folks,

It doesnt like the folling xml, I keep getting the errors:

Can anyone help? I thought the special chars ’ were valid??

Line File name: Nonexistent
2 Column: 23
Error: Can not find declaration of element 'xml'.
Error Position:

<xml version="1.0">



Line File name: Nonexistent
105 Column: 156
Error: Entity "rsquo" was referenced, but not declared.
Error Position:

...ave announced that Sandwell&rsquo;s Agewell

[Kronin555]

Your XML declaration is wrong. You have this:
<xml version="1.0">

It should be this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

[matthisco]

Thnaks for your reply.

I've changed that but now get the error, any ideas?

Line File name: Nonexistent
2 Column: 7
Error: Processing instruction target matching "[xX][mM][lL]" is not allowed.
Error Position:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

[Kronin555]

How are you using this XML? Post the code that is throwing this error, please.

[Tariq_Ahmed__ACP_]

Looks like there's funky characters in the title. I'm not sure if that is causing CFs XML parser to get upset.

To play it safe, wrap all your text with a CDATA block.

E.g.:
<title><![CDATA[ this is my title ]]></title>
<summary><![CDATA[ .... ]]></summary>
etc...

[JPfeff]

Sounds to me like you have some whitespace before your XML declaration line. There has to be NO space at all. So make sure you don't have a carriage return or anything like that in your code that's adding space.

[matthisco]

Thanks for all your help.

I've done your suggestions but still getting problems, code attached

[matthisco]

Its throwing this error now:

Line File name: Nonexistent
1 Column: 52
Error: Can not find declaration of element 'items'.
Error Position:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?><items>

[Guest]

<?xml version="1.0" mencoding="UTF-8" ?>

What's a "memcoding"?

;-)

one of the easiest ways to spot these sort of thngs is to browse to the XML file in a browser. Firefox pointed the exact location of the problem instantly.

--
Adam

[matthisco]

Thanks again for your replies folks.

I have this working to an extent, but its very touch and go, its still doesnt like certain charactors.

The xml document is created from a database query, which holds user generated content. Ideally I would like to store the data in the xml document without any formatting, but I need a least paragraph tags.

Can you guys think of a way aorund this?

Is there a way I can store the formatting in xml?

Thanks again

[Kronin555]

Wrap everything being pulled from the database in an XMLFormat() function. That way, any special characters will be escaped.
http://livedocs.adobe.com/coldfusion/8/htmldocs/help.html?content=functions_t-z_20.html#139554

[JR__Bob__Dobbs-qSBHQ2]

To store your content in XML without formatting use a CDATA section. CDATA can contain any content except "]]>". You will not need to escape XML special characters within a CDATA section. See XML sample attached.

It might also be helpful if you were to provide the CF code you are using to generate your XML file.