JDOM

JDOM is an open‑source Java library designed to provide a more convenient and natural way to read, manipulate, and write XML documents than the standard Document Object Model (DOM) API. Its API mimics the Document Object Model's tree structure but offers a lightweight set of classes that are easier to use and more idiomatic to Java programmers. The library represents XML as a tree of elements, attributes, text nodes, and comments, and it supports namespaces, mixed content, and processing instructions.

JDOM was first released in 2000 by Lion O'Malley and has since evolved through several major versions, with JDOM 2.0 (released in 2006) being the most widely adopted. The codebase is maintained on GitHub and distributed under a permissive BSD style license, allowing commercial use without modification. The project is supported by an active community of contributors who provide bug fixes, new features, and documentation updates through mailing lists, issue trackers, and release announcements.

Typical use cases for JDOM include XML configuration parsing, transformation pipelines, and integration with XSLT processors. It can be combined with Saxon for efficient XSLT 3.0 transformations, with Xalan for older XSLT 1.0 use, or with streaming APIs like StAX for large documents. JDOM also offers optional support for XPath queries via the Jaxen library, allowing developers to select nodes using standard XPath syntax.

Because JDOM focuses on simplicity and Java-centric design, it is often chosen in educational settings and small to medium projects where quick XML manipulation is required without the overhead of larger frameworks. Its straightforward API, clear documentation, and permissive license make it a popular choice among Java developers working with XML.