java - xml skip root element -

so have following xml format in string:

<applist>     <app stuff="blah"/>     <app stuff="blah"/> </applist> 

i wanting have list of app

so doing this:

xstream xstream = new xstream(); xstream.alias("applist", list.class); list<application> list = (list<application>) xstream.fromxml(xml); //xml above 

and here entity object:

@xmlrootelement(name = "app") public class application{      private string stuff;      public string getstuff() {         return stuff;     }     public void setstuff(string stuff) {         this.stuff = stuff;     } } 

i thought xstream.alias("applist", list.class); supposed ignore root element... in case applist. however, not working , getting exception.

exception in thread "main"   com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.conversionexception: app : app ---- debugging information ---- message             : app cause-exception     :   com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.cannotresolveclassexception cause-message       : app class               : java.util.arraylist required-type       : java.util.arraylist converter-type      :  com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.collectionconverter path                : /applist/app line number         : 4 version             : null ------------------------------- @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.treeunmarshaller.convert(treeunmarshaller.java:79) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.abstractreferenceunmarshaller.convert(abstractreferenceunmarshaller.java:65) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.treeunmarshaller.convertanother(treeunmarshaller.java:66) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.treeunmarshaller.convertanother(treeunmarshaller.java:50) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.treeunmarshaller.start(treeunmarshaller.java:134) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.abstracttreemarshallingstrategy.unmarshal(abstracttreemarshallingstrategy.java:32) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.xstream.unmarshal(xstream.java:1058) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.xstream.unmarshal(xstream.java:1042) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.xstream.fromxml(xstream.java:913) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.xstream.fromxml(xstream.java:904) @ teststuff.main(teststuff.java:19) caused by: com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.cannotresolveclassexception: app @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.defaultmapper.realclass(defaultmapper.java:56) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.dynamicproxymapper.realclass(dynamicproxymapper.java:55) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.packagealiasingmapper.realclass(packagealiasingmapper.java:88) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.classaliasingmapper.realclass(classaliasingmapper.java:79) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.arraymapper.realclass(arraymapper.java:74) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.mapperwrapper.realclass(mapperwrapper.java:30) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.mapper.cachingmapper.realclass(cachingmapper.java:45) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.util.hierarchicalstreams.readclasstype(hierarchicalstreams.java:29) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.abstractcollectionconverter.readitem(abstractcollectionconverter.java:70) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.collectionconverter.addcurrentelementtocollection(collectionconverter.java:79) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.collectionconverter.populatecollection(collectionconverter.java:72) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.collectionconverter.populatecollection(collectionconverter.java:66) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.collections.collectionconverter.unmarshal(collectionconverter.java:61) @ com.thoughtworks.xstream.core.treeunmarshaller.convert(treeunmarshaller.java:72) ... 10 more 

so why getting exception? think parse pretty nicely this.

update:

i added xstream.alias("app", application.class); , putting objects list. however, value of stuff null

i implemented system using xstream , didn't find major issues, great library work xml :)

i believe not need register "list.class" "application.class".

i following:

xstream xstream = new xstream(new staxdriver()); xstream.alias("app", application.class); xstream.useattributefor(application.class, "stuff"); list<application> list = (list<application>) xstream.fromxml(xml);  

let me know if works you. happy coding!!!