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Re: What is XML For?

• To: Paul Prescod <paul@p...>
• Subject: Re: What is XML For?
• From: tblanchard@m...
• Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 11:08:00 +0200
• Cc: "Alaric B. Snell" <alaric@a...>, xml-dev <xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: <3DB8579F.80802@p...>

On Thursday, October 24, 2002, at 10:27  PM, Paul Prescod wrote:

>> The same way you'd do it with XML, or TSV, or anything! XML doesn't 
>> make interchange any easier. You still need to agree what XML 
>> structure to use, or what column headings to use, or whatever.
>
> Really? Here's (one way) I would do it in XML:
>
> <!ELEMENT purchaseOrder (buyer, seller, ...)>
>
> This is both human readable and computer processable. There are a 
> variety of similar techniques. Now what's the equivalent for TSV, 
> PLists, etc.?

Yeah, but (almost) nobody can understand them, you still have to write 
a bunch of custom code to proceess them.  I'd quit bringing up the 
schema thing.  I don't see it used much at all (reading the list of 
"types" in schema I can see why).  And what's the benefit of having the 
schema machine readable?  Validation?  It only provides syntactic 
validation.  You still need to do your own semantic validation.

Schema value == 0.

>> Not really! Quite a few 'standard' bitmap file formats are just dumps 
>> of the memory structures used by the apps that first produced them - 
>> and they're all roughly the same: header, palette, bitmap data.
>
> I'm talking about vector graphics programs. You're talking about 
> bitmap apps.

Its still a dump of internal data.  BTW, I see some ballyhooage about 
MS using XML for Office.  You know what MSXML looks like?

<data7>AB373947F879874983792283787AC5E</data7>

Its just marked up chunks of base 64 binary.  XML isn't magic and 
doesn't guarantee interop.  In fact, I'm quite sure MSXML will still 
prevent it some how.


>> They clearly do! The plists have been in use on macs for how long, 
>> Mr. Blanchard? :-)
>
> And today they are XML. ;)

Or not.  The preference is not.  And I showed you the pointlessness of 
XMLizing them.  They did the XML to please the zealots.

> I'll ask again: what's the schema language for plists?
>

English.  Its all you need.

• Follow-Ups:
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    • From: Paul Prescod <paul@p...>

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  • Re: What is XML For?
    • From: Paul Prescod <paul@p...>

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