Added character data buffering to pyexpat parser objects.

Setting the buffer_text attribute to true causes the parser to collect
character data, waiting as long as possible to report it to the Python
callback.  This can save an enormous number of callbacks from C to
Python, which can be a substantial performance improvement.

buffer_text defaults to false.
diff --git a/Modules/pyexpat.c b/Modules/pyexpat.c
index ce82014..e1dbf2f 100644
--- a/Modules/pyexpat.c
+++ b/Modules/pyexpat.c
@@ -60,10 +60,16 @@
     int ordered_attributes;     /* Return attributes as a list. */
     int specified_attributes;   /* Report only specified attributes. */
     int in_callback;            /* Is a callback active? */
+    XML_Char *buffer;           /* Buffer used when accumulating characters */
+                                /* NULL if not enabled */
+    int buffer_size;            /* Size of buffer, in XML_Char units */
+    int buffer_used;            /* Buffer units in use */
     PyObject *intern;           /* Dictionary to intern strings */
     PyObject **handlers;
 } xmlparseobject;
 
+#define CHARACTER_DATA_BUFFER_SIZE 8192
+
 staticforward PyTypeObject Xmlparsetype;
 
 typedef void (*xmlhandlersetter)(XML_Parser *self, void *meth);
@@ -313,6 +319,85 @@
     return value;
 }
 
+/* Return 0 on success, -1 on exception.
+ * flag_error() will be called before return if needed.
+ */
+static int
+call_character_handler(xmlparseobject *self, const XML_Char *buffer, int len)
+{
+    PyObject *args;
+    PyObject *temp;
+
+    args = PyTuple_New(1);
+    if (args == NULL)
+        return -1;
+#ifdef Py_USING_UNICODE
+    temp = (self->returns_unicode 
+            ? conv_string_len_to_unicode(buffer, len) 
+            : conv_string_len_to_utf8(buffer, len));
+#else
+    temp = conv_string_len_to_utf8(buffer, len);
+#endif
+    if (temp == NULL) {
+        Py_DECREF(args);
+        flag_error(self);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    PyTuple_SET_ITEM(args, 0, temp);
+    /* temp is now a borrowed reference; consider it unused. */
+    self->in_callback = 1;
+    temp = call_with_frame(getcode(CharacterData, "CharacterData", __LINE__),
+                           self->handlers[CharacterData], args);
+    /* temp is an owned reference again, or NULL */
+    self->in_callback = 0;
+    Py_DECREF(args);
+    if (temp == NULL) {
+        flag_error(self);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    Py_DECREF(temp);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+flush_character_buffer(xmlparseobject *self)
+{
+    int rc;
+    if (self->buffer == NULL || self->buffer_used == 0)
+        return 0;
+    rc = call_character_handler(self, self->buffer, self->buffer_used);
+    self->buffer_used = 0;
+    return rc;
+}
+
+static void
+my_CharacterDataHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *data, int len) 
+{
+    xmlparseobject *self = (xmlparseobject *) userData;
+    if (self->buffer == NULL)
+        call_character_handler(self, data, len);
+    else {
+        if ((self->buffer_used + len) > self->buffer_size) {
+            if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0)
+                return;
+            /* handler might have changed; drop the rest on the floor
+             * if there isn't a handler anymore
+             */
+            if (!have_handler(self, CharacterData))
+                return;
+        }
+        if (len > self->buffer_size) {
+            call_character_handler(self, data, len);
+            self->buffer_used = 0;
+        }
+        else {
+            memcpy(self->buffer + self->buffer_used,
+                   data, len * sizeof(XML_Char));
+            self->buffer_used += len;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 static void
 my_StartElementHandler(void *userData,
                        const XML_Char *name, const XML_Char *atts[])
@@ -323,6 +408,8 @@
         PyObject *container, *rv, *args;
         int i, max;
 
+        if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0)
+            return;
         /* Set max to the number of slots filled in atts[]; max/2 is
          * the number of attributes we need to process.
          */
@@ -402,6 +489,8 @@
     INIT \
 \
     if (have_handler(self, NAME)) { \
+        if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0) \
+            return RETURN; \
         args = Py_BuildValue PARAM_FORMAT ;\
         if (!args) { flag_error(self); return RETURN;} \
         self->in_callback = 1; \
@@ -438,18 +527,6 @@
               const XML_Char *data),
              ("(NO&)", string_intern(self, target), STRING_CONV_FUNC,data))
 
-#ifndef Py_USING_UNICODE
-VOID_HANDLER(CharacterData,
-             (void *userData, const XML_Char *data, int len),
-             ("(N)", conv_string_len_to_utf8(data,len)))
-#else
-VOID_HANDLER(CharacterData,
-             (void *userData, const XML_Char *data, int len),
-             ("(N)", (self->returns_unicode
-                      ? conv_string_len_to_unicode(data,len)
-                      : conv_string_len_to_utf8(data,len))))
-#endif
-
 VOID_HANDLER(UnparsedEntityDecl,
              (void *userData,
               const XML_Char *entityName,
@@ -673,6 +750,9 @@
     if (rv == 0) {
         return set_error(self);
     }
+    if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
     return PyInt_FromLong(rv);
 }
 
@@ -890,6 +970,17 @@
 
     if (new_parser == NULL)
         return NULL;
+    new_parser->buffer_size = self->buffer_size;
+    new_parser->buffer_used = 0;
+    if (self->buffer != NULL) {
+        new_parser->buffer = malloc(new_parser->buffer_size);
+        if (new_parser->buffer == NULL) {
+            PyObject_GC_Del(new_parser);
+            return PyErr_NoMemory();
+        }
+    }
+    else
+        new_parser->buffer = NULL;
     new_parser->returns_unicode = self->returns_unicode;
     new_parser->ordered_attributes = self->ordered_attributes;
     new_parser->specified_attributes = self->specified_attributes;
@@ -913,10 +1004,10 @@
     XML_SetUserData(new_parser->itself, (void *)new_parser);
 
     /* allocate and clear handlers first */
-    for(i = 0; handler_info[i].name != NULL; i++)
+    for (i = 0; handler_info[i].name != NULL; i++)
         /* do nothing */;
 
-    new_parser->handlers = malloc(sizeof(PyObject *)*i);
+    new_parser->handlers = malloc(sizeof(PyObject *) * i);
     if (!new_parser->handlers) {
         Py_DECREF(new_parser);
         return PyErr_NoMemory();
@@ -1053,6 +1144,9 @@
 
     self->returns_unicode = 1;
 #endif
+    self->buffer = NULL;
+    self->buffer_size = CHARACTER_DATA_BUFFER_SIZE;
+    self->buffer_used = 0;
     self->ordered_attributes = 0;
     self->specified_attributes = 0;
     self->in_callback = 0;
@@ -1081,7 +1175,7 @@
     XML_SetUnknownEncodingHandler(self->itself, (XML_UnknownEncodingHandler) PyUnknownEncodingHandler, NULL);
 #endif
 
-    for(i = 0; handler_info[i].name != NULL; i++)
+    for (i = 0; handler_info[i].name != NULL; i++)
         /* do nothing */;
 
     self->handlers = malloc(sizeof(PyObject *)*i);
@@ -1118,6 +1212,10 @@
         free(self->handlers);
         self->handlers = NULL;
     }
+    if (self->buffer != NULL) {
+        free(self->buffer);
+        self->buffer = NULL;
+    }
     Py_XDECREF(self->intern);
 #if PY_MAJOR_VERSION == 1 && PY_MINOR_VERSION < 6
     /* Code for versions before 1.6 */
@@ -1179,6 +1277,14 @@
             return PyInt_FromLong((long)
                                   XML_GetErrorByteIndex(self->itself));
     }
+    if (name[0] == 'b') {
+        if (strcmp(name, "buffer_size") == 0)
+            return PyInt_FromLong((long) self->buffer_size);
+        if (strcmp(name, "buffer_text") == 0)
+            return get_pybool(self->buffer != NULL);
+        if (strcmp(name, "buffer_used") == 0)
+            return PyInt_FromLong((long) self->buffer_used);
+    }
     if (strcmp(name, "ordered_attributes") == 0)
         return get_pybool(self->ordered_attributes);
     if (strcmp(name, "returns_unicode") == 0)
@@ -1206,6 +1312,9 @@
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("ErrorLineNumber"));
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("ErrorColumnNumber"));
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("ErrorByteIndex"));
+        PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("buffer_size"));
+        PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("buffer_text"));
+        PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("buffer_used"));
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("ordered_attributes"));
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("returns_unicode"));
         PyList_Append(rc, PyString_FromString("specified_attributes"));
@@ -1246,6 +1355,25 @@
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "Cannot delete attribute");
         return -1;
     }
+    if (strcmp(name, "buffer_text") == 0) {
+        if (PyObject_IsTrue(v)) {
+            if (self->buffer == NULL) {
+                self->buffer = malloc(self->buffer_size);
+                if (self->buffer == NULL) {
+                    PyErr_NoMemory();
+                    return -1;
+                }
+                self->buffer_used = 0;
+            }
+        }
+        else if (self->buffer != NULL) {
+            if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0)
+                return -1;
+            free(self->buffer);
+            self->buffer = NULL;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
     if (strcmp(name, "ordered_attributes") == 0) {
         if (PyObject_IsTrue(v))
             self->ordered_attributes = 1;
@@ -1274,6 +1402,15 @@
             self->specified_attributes = 0;
         return 0;
     }
+    if (strcmp(name, "CharacterDataHandler") == 0) {
+        /* If we're changing the character data handler, flush all
+         * cached data with the old handler.  Not sure there's a
+         * "right" thing to do, though, but this probably won't
+         * happen.
+         */
+        if (flush_character_buffer(self) < 0)
+            return -1;
+    }
     if (sethandler(self, name, v)) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -1658,16 +1795,16 @@
      (xmlhandler)my_CharacterDataHandler},
     {"UnparsedEntityDeclHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetUnparsedEntityDeclHandler,
-     (xmlhandler)my_UnparsedEntityDeclHandler },
+     (xmlhandler)my_UnparsedEntityDeclHandler},
     {"NotationDeclHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetNotationDeclHandler,
-     (xmlhandler)my_NotationDeclHandler },
+     (xmlhandler)my_NotationDeclHandler},
     {"StartNamespaceDeclHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetStartNamespaceDeclHandler,
-     (xmlhandler)my_StartNamespaceDeclHandler },
+     (xmlhandler)my_StartNamespaceDeclHandler},
     {"EndNamespaceDeclHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetEndNamespaceDeclHandler,
-     (xmlhandler)my_EndNamespaceDeclHandler },
+     (xmlhandler)my_EndNamespaceDeclHandler},
     {"CommentHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetCommentHandler,
      (xmlhandler)my_CommentHandler},
@@ -1688,7 +1825,7 @@
      (xmlhandler)my_NotStandaloneHandler},
     {"ExternalEntityRefHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetExternalEntityRefHandler,
-     (xmlhandler)my_ExternalEntityRefHandler },
+     (xmlhandler)my_ExternalEntityRefHandler},
     {"StartDoctypeDeclHandler",
      (xmlhandlersetter)XML_SetStartDoctypeDeclHandler,
      (xmlhandler)my_StartDoctypeDeclHandler},