macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install xerces-clocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install xerces-c with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, pacman, zypper
Validating XML parser. Version 3.3.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add xerces-cAlpine Linux edge package indexes · xerces-c · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libxerces-c-devDebian stable package indexes · libxerces-c-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install mingw32-xerces-cFedora Rawhide package metadata · mingw32-xerces-c · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S xerces-cArch Linux sync databases · xerces-c · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libxerces-c-3_3openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libxerces-c-3_3 · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Validating XML parser
Project links
Commands and aliases
- CreateDOMDocument
- DOMCount
- DOMPrint
- EnumVal
- PParse
- PSVIWriter
- Redirect
- SAX2Count
- SAX2Print
- SAXCount
- SAXPrint
- SCMPrint
- SEnumVal
- StdInParse
- XInclude
history
Project history and usage
Xerces-C++ is Apache Xerces' portable C++ validating XML parser library. It packages DOM, SAX, SAX2, XML Schema, namespace, XInclude, catalog, encoding, and validation machinery for C and C++ applications that need standards-oriented XML processing.
Project history
Apache's Xerces charter records that the code base forming both Xerces-Java and Xerces-C++ was donated to Apache by IBM in 1999. Xerces-C++ then matured as a subproject of the Apache XML Project before Apache Xerces became a top-level Apache Software Foundation project in late 2004.
The C++ distribution reflects the XML infrastructure era of the late 1990s and early 2000s: a shared parsing library, extensive sample programs, API documentation, and command-line utilities for counting, printing, validating, DOM traversal, schema component model inspection, and XInclude processing.
Modern Xerces-C++ remains important but more conservative. The project page identifies version 3.3.0, notes that older 2.8.0 and earlier releases are unsupported, and warns that the C++ project currently lacks active maintainers, which is important context for security-sensitive packagers.
Adoption history
Xerces-C++ was adopted wherever C++ applications needed a full XML parser with validation rather than a lightweight tokenizer: enterprise middleware, document-processing systems, XML-aware servers, schema-validating tools, and platform ports. Apache describes use cases including XML-savvy web servers, vertical applications using XML as a data format, on-the-fly validation for XML editors, e-business data integrity, and internationalized XML applications.
Its package-manager footprint is that of a development library rather than a single CLI. Distributions ship headers, a shared library, pkg-config metadata, and sample executables because downstream C++ packages link against Xerces-C++ to parse or validate XML in-process.
How it is used
Developers use Xerces-C++ through DOM, SAX, and SAX2 APIs to parse, generate, manipulate, and validate XML documents. The packaged sample tools are useful for smoke tests, examples, and direct XML inspection: commands such as DOMCount, DOMPrint, SAX2Count, SAX2Print, PParse, StdInParse, and XInclude expose library features from the shell.
For package maintainers, Xerces-C++ often appears as a transitive build and runtime dependency for software with XML configuration, metadata exchange, geospatial formats, document standards, or schema validation requirements.
Why package nerds care
Xerces-C++ is a classic example of infrastructure hiding in plain sight. A user may never type a Xerces command, but the installed library can be the XML engine behind larger applications, so ABI compatibility, headers, sample binaries, and security maintenance all matter.
It also captures a packaging lesson from mature standards libraries: old XML stacks do not disappear just because the hype moves on. They become quiet dependencies, and their maintainer status and supported release lines become part of responsible curation.
Timeline
- 1999: IBM donates the code base that becomes the foundation for Xerces-Java and Xerces-C++.
- Late 2004: Apache Xerces becomes a top-level Apache Software Foundation project.
- 2009-2010: The 3.1.0 release archive records active schema, portability, performance, and API maintenance work.
- 2020s: Apache documents Xerces-C++ 3.3.0, unsupported old 2.x releases, and lack of active maintainers.
Related projects
- Xerces-Java is the Java parser from the same Apache Xerces family.
- Xerces-Perl is the Perl parser subproject that followed after the C++ community matured.
- Apache Xalan is a related XML transformation project often seen near Xerces in older XML stacks.
- libxml2 is a common C-library alternative for XML parsing and validation.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
CreateDOMDocument | cli | global executable | |
DOMCount | cli | global executable | |
DOMPrint | cli | global executable | |
EnumVal | cli | global executable | |
PParse | cli | global executable | |
PSVIWriter | cli | global executable | |
Redirect | cli | global executable | |
SAX2Count | cli | global executable | |
SAX2Print | cli | global executable | |
SAXCount | cli | global executable | |
SAXPrint | cli | global executable | |
SCMPrint | cli | global executable | |
SEnumVal | cli | global executable | |
StdInParse | cli | global executable | |
XInclude | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version3.3.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:xerces-c |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.3.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/xerces-c |
| Homepage | https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/apache/xerces-c |
| Upstream docs | https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Source archive | https://www.apache.org/dyn/closer.lua?path=xerces/c/3/sources/xerces-c-3.3.0.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | cmake |
| Uses from macOS | curl |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | xerces-c |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
libxerces-c-dev 3.2.4+debian-1.3+b2
validating XML parser library for C++ (development files)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Debian apt95%
libxerces-c-doc 3.2.4+debian-1.3
validating XML parser library for C++ (documentation)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Debian apt95%
libxerces-c-samples 3.2.4+debian-1.3+b2
validating XML parser library for C++ (compiled samples)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-samples- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Debian apt95%
libxerces-c3.2t64 3.2.4+debian-1.3+b2
validating XML parser library for C++
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c3.2t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Ubuntu apt95%
libxerces-c-dev 3.2.4+debian-1.2ubuntu2
validating XML parser library for C++ (development files)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Ubuntu apt95%
libxerces-c-doc 3.2.4+debian-1.2ubuntu2
validating XML parser library for C++ (documentation)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 1 provides
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Ubuntu apt95%
libxerces-c-samples 3.2.4+debian-1.2ubuntu2
validating XML parser library for C++ (compiled samples)
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c-samples- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
Ubuntu apt95%
libxerces-c3.2t64 3.2.4+debian-1.2ubuntu2
validating XML parser library for C++
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo apt install libxerces-c3.2t64- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
apk95%
xerces-c 3.2.5-r4
A validating XML parser written in a portable subset of C++
https://xerces.apache.org/index.html
sudo apk add xerces-c- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
apk95%
xerces-c-dev 3.2.5-r4
A validating XML parser written in a portable subset of C++ (development files)
https://xerces.apache.org/index.html
sudo apk add xerces-c-dev- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
apk95%
xerces-c-doc 3.2.5-r4
A validating XML parser written in a portable subset of C++ (documentation)
https://xerces.apache.org/index.html
sudo apk add xerces-c-doc- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
apk95%
xerces-c-samples 3.2.5-r4
A validating XML parser written in a portable subset of C++ (compiled samples)
https://xerces.apache.org/index.html
sudo apk add xerces-c-samples- License: Apache-2.0
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
dnf95%
mingw32-xerces-c 3.3.0-9.fc44
MingGW x86 Windows validating XML parser
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo dnf install mingw32-xerces-c- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
dnf95%
mingw64-xerces-c 3.3.0-9.fc44
MingGW x64 Windows validating XML parser
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo dnf install mingw64-xerces-c- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 4 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
dnf95%
xerces-c 3.3.0-9.fc44
Validating XML Parser
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo dnf install xerces-c- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 5 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
dnf95%
xerces-c-devel 3.3.0-9.fc44
Header files, libraries and development documentation for xerces-c
https://xerces.apache.org/xerces-c/
sudo dnf install xerces-c-devel- License: Apache-2.0
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: xerces-c
- 3 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Xerces C
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment