lib/happymapper.rb in nokogiri-happymapper-0.5.2 vs lib/happymapper.rb in nokogiri-happymapper-0.5.3

@@ -119,14 +119,14 @@
     # 
     #     content :first_name, String
     # 
     # @param [Symbol] name the name of the accessor that is created
     # @param [String,Class] type the class name of the name of the class whcih
-    #     the object will be converted upon parsing
+    #     the object will be converted upon parsing. By Default String class will be taken.
     # @param [Hash] options additional parameters to send to the relationship
     #
-    def content(name, type, options={})
+    def content(name, type=String, options={})
       @content = TextNode.new(name, type, options)
       attr_accessor @content.method_name.intern
     end
 
     #
@@ -307,12 +307,16 @@
 
       collection = []
       
       nodes.each_slice(limit) do |slice|
         
-        part = slice.map do |n|
-          obj = new
+        part = slice.map do |n|  
+          
+          # If an existing HappyMapper object is provided, update it with the
+          # values from the xml being parsed.  Otherwise, create a new object
+          
+          obj = options[:update] ? options[:update] : new
 
           attributes.each do |attr|
             obj.send("#{attr.method_name}=",attr.from_xml_node(n, namespace, namespaces))
           end
 
@@ -610,10 +614,18 @@
     # then we assume that has been called recursively to generate a larger 
     # XML document.
     write_out_to_xml ? builder.to_xml : builder
     
   end
-  
+     
+  # Parse the xml and update this instance. This does not update instances
+  # of HappyMappers that are children of this object.  New instances will be
+  # created for any HappyMapper children of this object.       
+  #  
+  # Params and return are the same as the class parse() method above.
+  def parse(xml, options = {})
+    self.class.parse(xml, options.merge!(:update => self))
+  end
   
 end
 
 require 'happymapper/item'
 require 'happymapper/attribute'