--- a/software/eXist/mpdl-modules/src/de/mpg/mpiwg/berlin/mpdl/externalObjects/app/ExtElement.java	Thu Feb 10 14:02:05 2011 +0100
+++ b/software/eXist/mpdl-modules/src/de/mpg/mpiwg/berlin/mpdl/externalObjects/app/ExtElement.java	Tue Feb 22 16:03:45 2011 +0100
@@ -8,12 +8,17 @@
 public class ExtElement extends ExtObject {
   private String pageNumber;
   private String xmlNodeId;
-  private String before;
+  private String before = "false";
   private String charPos;
   private String xpath;
 
+  public ExtElement() {
+    this.type = "element";  
+  }
+  
   public static ExtElement parseXmlStr(String xmlStr) throws ApplicationException {
     XmlUtil xmlUtil = XmlUtil.getInstance();
+    xmlUtil.setNsContext("general");
     String uid = xmlUtil.evaluateToString(xmlStr, "/object/@uid", null);
     String dateStr = xmlUtil.evaluateToString(xmlStr, "/object/@modificationDate", null);
     String docId = xmlUtil.evaluateToString(xmlStr, "/object/@documentId", null);
@@ -24,8 +29,6 @@
     String xpath = xmlUtil.evaluateToString(xmlStr, "/object/@xpath", null);
     String content = xmlUtil.evaluateToXmlString(xmlStr, "/object/content/*", null);
     Date modDate = xmlUtil.toDate(dateStr);
-    if (uid == null || docId == null || pageNumber == null)
-      throw new ApplicationException("one of the required fields could not be read in: " + xmlStr);
     ExtElement e = new ExtElement();
     e.setUid(uid);
     e.setModificationDate(modDate);
@@ -44,7 +47,13 @@
   }
   
   public String getXmlString() {
-    String xmlString = "<object";
+    String xmlString = "<object xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"";
+    xmlString = xmlString + " type=\"" + type + "\"";
+    if (modificationDate != null) {
+      XmlUtil xmlUtil = XmlUtil.getInstance();
+      String dateStr = xmlUtil.toXsDate(modificationDate);
+      xmlString = xmlString + " modificationDate=\"" + dateStr + "\"";
+    }
     if (uid != null)
       xmlString = xmlString + " uid=\"" + uid + "\"";
     if (documentId != null)
@@ -59,11 +68,6 @@
       xmlString = xmlString + " charPos=\"" + charPos + "\"";
     if (xpath != null)
       xmlString = xmlString + " xpath=\"" + xpath + "\"";
-    if (modificationDate != null) {
-      XmlUtil xmlUtil = XmlUtil.getInstance();
-      String dateStr = xmlUtil.toXsDate(modificationDate);
-      xmlString = xmlString + " modificationDate=\"" + dateStr + "\"";
-    }
     xmlString = xmlString + ">";
     if (content != null) {
       // write the uid and modificationDate into the content node
@@ -110,6 +114,13 @@
     this.pageNumber = pageNumber;
   }
 
+  public boolean isBefore() {
+    if (before != null && before.equals("true"))
+      return true;
+    else 
+      return false;
+  }
+  
   public String getBefore() {
     return before;
   }