[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

When Empty is Everything

• To: <xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: When Empty is Everything
• From: "Dean Snyder" <dean.snyder@j...>
• Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 16:46:00 -0500

I just joined this list so pardon me if this topic has been dealt with
before, but it is something I have been pondering for some time and about
which I would like expert feedback.

I work with ancient texts in multiple languages, including cuneiform
tablets, inscriptions, parchment and papyri manuscripts. Converting these
texts to XML form presents messy problems because they exhibit rampantly
overlapping hierarchies:

* single graphemes split across line boundaries;

* character effacements occurring randomly in the texts, across lines,
cases, columns, and facets;

* discontiguous parsing information; 

An on and on.

My question is why not just use empty tags for everything? And if that
works why have non-empty tags at all? (I'm aware of the argument for XML
parsing simplicity.)

One of my main concerns is data archivability and recoverability, even
data fragment recoverability. For these reasons I want metadata that is
human readable, inline, and practically self-documenting.


Respectfully,

Dean A. Snyder
Scholarly Technology Specialist
Library Digital Programs, Sheridan Libraries
Garrett Room, MSE Library, 3400 N. Charles St.
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21218

office: 410 516-6850 fax: 410-516-6229
Manager, Digital Hammurabi Project: www.jhu.edu/digitalhammurabi

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: When Empty is Everything
    • From: ht@c... (Henry S. Thompson)
  • Re: When Empty is Everything
    • From: "Amelia A. Lewis" <amyzing@t...>
  • Re: When Empty is Everything
    • From: Jonathan Robie <jonathan.robie@d...>
  • Re: When Empty is Everything
    • From: Betty Harvey <harvey@e...>
  • Re: When Empty is Everything
    • From: Jonathan Robie <jonathan.robie@d...>

• Prev by Date: ANN: XQEngine 0.61
• Next by Date: RE: Indemnification and Open Source
• Previous by thread: ANN: XQEngine 0.61
• Next by thread: Re: When Empty is Everything
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread