Patent ID: 8117530

Claim:
A method, with an information processing system, for parsing a hierarchical markup document, the method comprising: parsing, by a first parser, at least a first part of a hierarchical markup document, the first parser being one of a set of parsers for jointly parsing the hierarchical markup document, wherein each parser in the set of parsers is an independent and different parser from every other parser in the set of parsers; updating by the first parser a shared parsing state associated with the set of parsers during the parsing by the first parser, the first parser updating the shared parsing state with at least a current parsing position of the first parser and an indication of a specific parsing type that is required to be subsequently performed, and wherein the shared parsing state is accessible and updatable by a parsing controller and by individual parsers in the set of parsers independent of each other; monitoring, by the parsing controller, the shared parsing state associated with the set of parsers during the parsing by the first parser, wherein the parsing controller is separate, distinct, and external from each parser in the set of parsers; identifying, by the parsing controller based on the shared parsing state, a data item type that is to be parsed next; identifying, by the parsing controller, at least a second parser that is capable of parsing the data item type that has been identified; and passing, by the parsing controller in response to identifying the at least a second parser, parsing control to the at least a second parser, in the set of parsers; parsing, by the at least second parser, at least a second part of the hierarchical markup document, the second part being parsed differently than the first part; and monitoring, by the parsing controller, the shared parsing state during the parsing by the at least second parser.