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Re: XML ... simple building blocks, simple assemblymechanisms,

• To: xml-dev@l...
• Subject: Re: XML ... simple building blocks, simple assemblymechanisms, endless complexity
• From: Eric van der Vlist <vdv@d...>
• Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 16:16:45 +0200
• In-reply-to: <015401c45796$663903e0$19395381@M...>
• Organization: Dyomedea (http://dyomedea.com)
• References: <015401c45796$663903e0$19395381@M...>

Hi Roger,

On Mon, 2004-06-21 at 15:48, Roger L. Costello wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>  
> I think that XML is a lot like Legos.  
>  
> Consider Legos: with simple building blocks that have clearly defined
> assembling mechanisms (i.e., ways of snapping the blocks together) you
> can create a virtually endless variety and complexity of structures.
>  
> Consider XML: in XML there are just two building blocks: (1) tags, and
> (2) data.   The assembling mechanisms of XML building blocks are very
> simple: (1) a tag can embed tag(s), and (2) a tag can embed data. 
> With these building blocks, and these assembly mechanisms virtually
> any information structure can be created.
>  
> Simple building blocks ... simple assembly mechanisms ... endless
> complexity.

I agree with the conclusion and wouldn't want to sound pedantic, but XML
tags can't embed either tags nor data.

XML tags are either start tags or empty (which can only embed meta-data)
or end tags (which do not embed anything).

I think that you can either choose:

      * to stay at the level of the XML document as a text and say that
        in XML the two building blocks are tags and text literals
        (keeping apart the more exotic stuff) 
      * or to elevate yourself at the level of the XML infoset and say
        that the building blocs are elements, attributes and text nodes
        (forgetting again the more exotic information items).

My 0.02 Euros

Eric

> Nice!  
>  
> /Roger
-- 
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric van der Vlist       http://xmlfr.org            http://dyomedea.com
(ISO) RELAX NG   ISBN:0-596-00421-4 http://oreilly.com/catalog/relax
(W3C) XML Schema ISBN:0-596-00252-1 http://oreilly.com/catalog/xmlschema
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• References:
  • XML ... simple building blocks, simple assembly mechanisms, endless complexity
    • From: "Roger L. Costello" <costello@m...>

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