Streaming parser for structured data-interchange files

A computer-implemented method comprising repeatedly performing, for each block of a textual data-interchange file, operations including:

• obtaining, by a parser executing on a computing system, a block of the textual data-interchange file, wherein the block contains one or more records and the one or more records each contain one or more elements;
• identifying, by the parser, any pre-defined elements contained in records that are completed within the block, wherein the pre-defined elements are specified by a set of paths, the paths each hierarchically defining a location of an element within a record;
• storing, by the parser and into one or more files or one or more database tables, the pre-defined elements contained in records that are completed within the block;
• and
• determining, by the parser, that the block ends with a partial record, and maintaining the partial record for later storage in conjunction with processing of a subsequent block of the textual data-interchange file.

An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

• obtaining, by a parser, a block of a textual data-interchange file, wherein the block contains one or more records and the one or more records each contain one or more elements;
• identifying, by the parser, any pre-defined elements contained in records that are completed within the block, wherein the pre-defined elements are specified by a set of paths, the paths each hierarchically defining a location of an element within a record;
• storing, by the parser and into one or more files or one or more database tables, the pre-defined elements contained in records that are completed within the block;
• and
• determining, by the parser, whether the block ends with a partial record, and maintaining any such partial record for later storage in conjunction with processing of a subsequent block of the textual data-interchange file.