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Hi Joe: This is an age-old discussion. I would like to point you to Robin Covers website: http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/elementsAndAttrs.html This has some good reading and some good opinions. Betty /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Betty Harvey | Phone: 410-787-9200 FAX: 9830 Electronic Commerce Connection, Inc. | harvey@e... | Washington,DC XML Users Grp URL: http://www.eccnet.com | http://www.eccnet.com/xmlug /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/ On Wed, 2 Apr 2003, Chiusano Joseph wrote: > I would like to please solicit some quick feedback if possible regarding > an approach to using elements and/or attributes to represent concepts in > an XML document. I am having a "healthy debate" with a "colleague" on > how much "meaning" should be placed into an element name, and how much > (if any) should be "filled out" by attributes. > > Below I've identified 3 approaches for representing a concept called > (pipes separate the "subconcepts"): > > CurrentYear|Budget|Final|Estimated|Amount > > A "related" element in the same XML document might be called (note only > the first subconcept has been changed): > > PriorYear|Budget|Final|Estimated|Amount > > I am interested in feedback regarding which of the 3 approaches below > folks have used (whether it was an XML schema or DTD), and also which > may be best for both constructing an XML document based on database > contents, and parsing an XML document and committing the contents to a > database. I am aware of all the "issues" surrounding use of attributes > (order not enforced, cannot have duplicate names, namespace handling, > etc.), so my inquiry is outside of those. My personal experience tells > me that approach #2 (attribute-based approach) is not best practice, and > there *may* be some issues with tools. > > And here they are: > > APPROACH #1: Element-based approach > > - One long-named element that represents the entire "concept": > > <CurrentYearBudgetFinalEstimatedAmount>999.99</CurrentYearBudgetFinalEstimatedAmount> > > APPROACH #2: Attribute-based approach > > - One short- and simply-named element that represents the most basic > concept, with multiple attributes to "fill in the meaning": > > <Amount yearType="CurrentYear" amountType="Budget" > finalIndicator="Final" estimateIndicator="Estimated">999.99</Amount> > > APPROACH #3: Combined approach > > - One more "fully-named" element with several attributes to "fill in the > meaning": > > <FinalEstimatedAmount yearType="CurrentYear" amountType="Budget"> > 999.99</FinalEstimatedAmount> > > <CurrentYearBudgetFinalEstimatedAmount > core:amountTypeID="Federal">999</core:EstimatedUnobligatedAmount> > > Thanks in advance for your feedback. > > Joe Chiusano > Booz | Allen | Hamilton --
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