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Re: VTD-XML an open-source, high-performance and non-extractiv

• To: Michael Champion <michaelc.champion@g...>
• Subject: Re: VTD-XML an open-source, high-performance and non-extractiveXML processing API
• From: Elliotte Harold <elharo@m...>
• Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:10:39 -0400
• Cc: XML Developers List <xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: <e3a5cb2c0510181001i3f04e82fkb0a0e45009360935@m...>
• References: <bbe40a480510171950m6fb4db02u7d913de27e936d14@m...> <4354C0AA.2020502@m...> <e3a5cb2c0510181001i3f04e82fkb0a0e45009360935@m...>
• User-agent: Thunderbird 1.4 (Macintosh/20050908)

Michael Champion wrote:

> Well, they do say right up front: "VTD-XML is a non-validating,
> 'non-extractive" XML processing software API implementing Virtual
> Token Descriptor. Currently it only supports built-in entity
> references(" &amps; ' > <).'  Arguably an XML
> processing API doesn't have to be a real XML parser *if* the subset it
> supports is clearly stated.  I would have to agree that in principle
> "XML" should be used to refer only to the full spec, but that battle
> was lost years ago -- SOAP implicitly subsets XML, RSS is often not
> well-formed (and thus not "XML"), but this distinction is lost on the
> vast majority of XML technology users who do not subscribe to xml-dev.

Which is why it's absolutely critical that those of us who do hang out 
on xml-dev, and do know all the nooks and crannies of the various specs, 
do not mislead and bamboozle the general populace about what is and is 
not XML. In particular, tool vendors have a responsibility to the 
community to ensure that their tools handle XML strictly according to 
spec because tool users rely on this. People use tools so they don't 
have to know every last detail of the relevant specs. If the tools start 
lying to them, then where they can turn? A few will become experts 
themselves and stop using unreliable tools. Most will sadly remain mired 
in misunderstanding and confusion, not knowing which tool to trust. Some 
will accept vendor lockin to their tool of choice. Others will ditch XML 
completely.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo@m...
XML in a Nutshell 3rd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/xian3/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596007647/cafeaulaitA/ref=nosim

• References:
  • VTD-XML an open-source, high-performance and non-extractive XML processing API
    • From: Harry Xu <harry.hxu@g...>
  • Re: VTD-XML an open-source, high-performance and non-extractiveXML processing API
    • From: Elliotte Harold <elharo@m...>
  • Re: VTD-XML an open-source, high-performance and non-extractive XML processing API
    • From: Michael Champion <michaelc.champion@g...>

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