[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: Keeping ISO 8879 Alive (was RE: Markup perspecti
Hello Mike [mike statement about infosets vs syntax...] Mike thank you for your message, it summarizes, in my own opinion, what is happening right now in the SGML/XML world. When XML is used as syntax it leads to things like RPCs or any other usages in need of a hierarchical syntax. What we need more is semantics, not the semantic web which seems to be still in dreamland but more document types, structures allowing the exchange of information. When people look at XML as an integration/information exchange tool they may favor: a) integration by processes (i.e. function calls) b) integration by data (i.e. documents) Since the last 23 years I am in the software business I saw developers attracted by these two poles. We have to admit that the XML framework is not well adapted to the actual developer's programming languages if they want to write a solution's semantics without too much overhead. We have to agree that the following expression is a lot more easier to use, comprehend and read than a full SAX parsing routine( account.balance = account.balance + deposit) In the expression between parenthesis we keep the semantics of the problem to be resolved. Everything the developers has to do in addition to this expression is simply overhead, with or without XML. I believe that people developing the XML framework (i.e. W3) missed a great opportunity to help these people by providing an infoset interface that kept the semantics. For instance an element <account><balance>20.00</balance>...other elements...</account> could be transformed into account.balance without further intervention from the developer. Instead the XML framework people create an interface to the syntaxic level of the infoset hierarchy. What the developer is handling is not an element, since the element reveal nothing about the semantics. But the keyword account mean something in the problem to be resolved. What we see is probably the result of sticking to much to the syntax level and not really trying to fulfill the developers needs. The full implication is what we see today. I still like to think that " a different point of view is worth a thousand point of IQ". I guess that our lack of intelligence to embrace the developers' problems is due to the fact that we simply didn't looked at the world from their perspective and what _they really want to achieve_ By trying to evacuate the semantics from the XML framework we also opened the door to schisms. Cheers Didier PH Martin
|
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
|