[Contrib: Evaluation System] Preferred methods for XML processing?

[Jim Eng]

I am working on the import/export code we have discussed recently (http://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/EVALSYS-763 
).  Part of the problem is conversion of an XML document to one or  
more java objects and storing or updating them in the database.

In the existing code, that is done by reading an XML Document object  
from a file input stream and then query the Document object for  
particular elements, sub-elements and attributes and then explicitly  
invoking constructors and setters to create the objects and store them  
in the database.

Here's my first question:  Is there a better way?  (For extra points,  
describe the better way, rather than just answering "yes" or "no").

Here's my second question:  Any suggestions about preferred XML parsers?

Thanks.

Jim