Is there a way to make @XmlElement(true) the default?

[sschuberth]

I have to deal with an XML file that never uses attributes but encodes even primitive types as tags, so I end up with a lot of @XmlElement(true) annotations next to my properties. Is there a way, e.g. via a policy, to make "deserialize as tag" the default behavior?

[pdvrieze]

Hello @sschuberth, yes there is. There are different approaches, but defaultPrimitiveOutputKind should do this. Otherwise, override the policy with, effectiveOutputKind, or defaultOutputKind

[sschuberth]

Thanks, using

val xml = XML {
    policy = object : DefaultXmlSerializationPolicy({ pedantic = false }) {
        @ExperimentalXmlUtilApi
        override fun defaultOutputKind(serialKind: SerialKind) = OutputKind.Element
    }
}

works for me. I chose that approach over setting defaultPrimitiveOutputKind to better document in code that any primitive / object is encoded as an element.

[pdvrieze]

I'm happy the policy allows you to do what you intend (and still allows for overrides in this case by using the annotations)