> In Format.java setLineSeparator(), the docs say...
>
>    * This will set the newline separator (<code>lineSeparator</code>).
>    * The default is <code>\r\n</code>. Note that if the "newlines"
>    * property is false, this value is irrelevant.
>
> As far as I can see, there is no "newlines" property.

Happily, that was fixed a while ago in the code checked into CVS.

> Then in XMLOutputter.java...
>
>   /**
>    * This will print a new line only if the newlines flag was set to
>    * true.
>    *
>    * @param out <code>Writer</code> to use
>    */
>   private void newline(Writer out) throws IOException {
>      if (currentFormat.indent != null) {
>         out.write(currentFormat.lineSeparator);
>      }
>   }
>
>   /**
>    * This will print indents (only if the newlines flag was
>    * set to <code>true</code>, and indent is non-null).
>    *
>    * @param out <code>Writer</code> to use
>    * @param level current indent level (number of tabs)
>    */
>   private void indent(Writer out, int level) throws IOException {
>      if (currentFormat.indent == null ||
>         currentFormat.indent.equals("")) {
>         return;
>      }
>
>      for (int i = 0; i < level; i++) {
>         out.write(currentFormat.indent);
>      }
>   }
>
>
> ...notice that neither method actually tests a "newlines" flag for true,
> they only test "indent" for null.

That one's still there.

> In order to really be able to control the output, you need to be able to
> have these options...
>
> 1) newlines and indents (1 or more spaces)
> 2) newlines and no indents (0 spaces)
> 3) neither
>
> It doesn't make sense to have indents with no newlines.
>
> Judging from the documentation, I believe this was what was originally
> intended but someone tried to simplify the logic somewhere and
> inadvertently removed the ability to have option #2. I think they were
> trying to overload the meaning of indents=null to mean newlines=false.
> Probably not a good idea.
>
>
> I'd like to make a patch to put that functionality back in but I don't
> want to break anything if I can avoid it. Do you have a set of test
> scripts/programs that you run against it to verify that things aren't
> broken after changes are made?

I'd welcome a patch. Please base it on the CVS code, if you can. You
can submit a patch either as a full file or using the "diff" tool with
ideally the -u flag.

You'll see we have a jdom-test module under CVS with test cases.
They're not exhaustive, but they'll help confirm your fix is good.

-jh-
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