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Unused features and interop (was RE: XPath 1.5? (was RE: [xml-

• To: xml-dev@l...
• Subject: Unused features and interop (was RE: XPath 1.5? (was RE: typing and markup))
• From: Sean McGrath <sean.mcgrath@p...>
• Date: Wed, 08 May 2002 07:18:36 +0100
• In-reply-to: <1020791711.14270.ezmlm@l...>

[ Len Bullard]
 >But Simon asks a pertinent point:  who bears the costs
 >for unused features?  The developer?  The framework
 >developer?  This becomes a nasty problem for buying
 >and using tools.

Darned straight!

Unused (or infrequently used) features cost an absolute fortune all
over the map from developers to consultants etc. and thus
back to the final customer.

They also act as the most effective hand-break on true
inter-operability ever invented.

In its worst incarnation, the optionality of features gets
enshrined in standards. Then developers implement 100%
standards compliant systems that implement/eschew different
subsets of the optional features. Banging noises then ensue
at the point of interchange.

At best, different sets of infrequently used features are just left
out of different implementations. The effect on interoperability
is the same.

Sean

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