[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Newbie question: XML design for configuration file
Hi all! I'm a newbie to XML (and java, tho I have more java experience & training). Currently we have an app that needs extensive & complex configuration. It seems logical to put the configuration into several xml docs. There is no one inhouse with xml experience but the experienced java programmer seems to think I should "Super" generalize the xml doc. The configurations will ultimately endup in a HashMap containing a string key & a value that can be either a string, hashtable, arrayList, etc. He thinks I should basically do something like this: ... <section name="global"> <conf key="logDir">/var/logs</conf> <conf key="notify">eon@k...</conf> </section> <section name="server"> <conf key="RunAsDaemon">0</conf> <conf key="username">eon</conf> </section> <section name="Fields" type="hashtable"> <conf key="fullName">A1</conf> <conf key="SSN">A5</conf> <conf key="Dept">HR</conf> </section> <section name="Auth" type="ArrayList"> <conf key="SSN"/> <conf key="employeeNumber"/> <conf key="fullName"/> </section> ... something like that. The DTD would be fairly easy to write & a Schema could be written to set up data restrictions. However, in the Java & XML book & the tutorials I've taken, it seems to me, that this might be too general of an XML design (it does parse as a well formed XML document). So I'm confused as to how to design the documentation. It's primary use if for a Java Class but we could add some HTML tags & then have a java class turn it into HTML documentation (wow 2 uses for one doc!). Should I instead make if more specific?? with something like: ... <myXML:section name="global"> <myXML:notify>eon@k...</myXML:notify> <myXML:logDir>/var/logs</myXML:logDir> </myXML:section> <myXML:section name="server"> <myXML:RunAsDaemon>0</myXML:RunAsDeamon> <myXML:username>eon</myXML:username> </myXML:section> <myXML:section name="Fields" type="hashtable"> <myXML:fullName>A1</myXML:fullName> <myXML:SSN>A5</myXML:SSN> <myXML:Dept>HR</myXML:Dept> </section> <section name="Auth" type="ArrayList"> <myXML:SSN/> <myXML:employeeNumber/> <myXML:fullName/> </section> ... It does seem like the more general is more java like & the more specific seems more HTML like. I'm confused! thanks in advance. erin
|
PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced! Download The World's Best XML IDE!Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today! Subscribe in XML format
|