Create XML File with multiplle child nodes in Java

Question

I want to create XML File like the below - I have got it outputting fine to disk when I just create one OrderDetails child - Now I want to create 2 (so finally I could have an XML File with one batchheader and multiple order details on it.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<BatchOrders xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <BatchHeader>
     <Provider>123456789</Provider>
     <Contact>ABC@abc.com</Contact>
  </BatchHeader>
   <OrderDetails>
     <Number>0456789</Number>
     <YourReference>tc1</YourReference>
     <DeliveryDate>23-08-2012</DeliveryDate>
     <RetailerID>AAA</RetailerID>   
  </OrderDetails>
   <OrderDetails>
     <Number>1234</Number>
     <YourReference>tc2</YourReference>
     <DeliveryDate>23-08-2013</DeliveryDate>
     <RetailerID>BBB</RetailerID>   
  </OrderDetails>
  </BatchOrders>

So I have a class called OrderDetails that has the propeties and the get/setters. I also have a class that writes the XML Header and then the OrderDetails - this is below.

OrderHeader header = new OrderHeader();

header.setProvider("123456789");
//rest of header setting done

OrderWriter writer = new OrderWriter(orderWriter);
writer.Initialise(header);

OrderDetails[] orderdetails = new OrderDetails[3];


for(int i = 0; i < orderdetails.length; i++)
{
    orderdetails[i] = new OrderDetails();
    orderdetails[i].setDirectoryNumber("0456789" + i);
    //rest of sets done

    writer.writeNext(orderdetails[i]);
}

writer.close();

Finally below is my writer class - when I have only one order details it works fine and prints the file in correct XML format. When I try the code which creates multi OrderDetails child nodes - it just gives me the first order details recoard and in one long string of text so not correctly formatted XML - can anyone see something silly I am missing here?

  public void Initialise(OrderHeader header) throws Exception 
    {
        Element batchOrders = new Element("BatchOrders");

        document.setRootElement(batchOrders);

        Element batchHeader = new Element("BatchHeader");

        batchHeader.addContent(new Element("ServiceProvider").setText(header.getServiceProvider()));
        //more header sets are done...

        document.getRootElement().addContent(batchHeader);

    }

    public void close() throws Exception { writer.close(); }

    public void writeNext(OrderDetails record) throws Exception 
    {

        Element orderDetails = new Element("OrderDetails");

        if(record.getNumber() != null)
        {
            orderDetails.addContent(new Element("Number").setText(record.getNumber()));
        }
        //More sets are done....


        document.getRootElement().addContent(orderDetails);

        outputter.getFormat().setOmitDeclaration(true);
        outputter.getFormat().setOmitEncoding(true);

        outputter.output(document,writer); 

    }

Answer 1

In the method writeNext(), you use the outputter to output the document right after you add the orderDetails content. I am not sure what your outputter does, but I think you should output until you put all the orderDetails in the document.