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Re: Create XML

• To: Rich Salz <rsalz@d...>
• Subject: Re: Create XML
• From: Uche Ogbuji <uche.ogbuji@f...>
• Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 16:37:09 -0600
• Cc: "xml-dev@l..." <xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: Message from Rich Salz <rsalz@d...> of "Thu, 19 Jun 2003 18:23:22 EDT." <Pine.LNX.4.44L0.0306191820070.13218-100000@s...>
• Sender: uche.ogbuji@f...

> 
> > XML output is almost always more complex than you think at any given time.
> > I'm sure that even having written a lot of XML output code, I haven't
> > exhausted the realm of potential gotchas.
> 
> That's disappointing.
> 
> Developers should feel safe and comfortable generating XML with print
> statements, knowing that only < and & are special. I'm sure (as your
> article points out), it *can* be more complicated, but in most cases it
> never needs be.
> 
> The problem with "just as an XML API" is that you usually have to build up
> a DOM or Infoset or some such, and then call a serialization routine.
> That's often ridiculously heavyweight for the task at hand.

I hear ya.

To be fair, my post should be leavened by the fact that peopl always have to 
make trade-offs between safety and convenience.  The only way to be entirely 
safe is to live one's life in a cocoon.  So saying "thou shalt always use an 
XML API, or thou will perish" is probably a bit much.  As another poster said, 
the experience of the developer is a key factor in the decision.

Of course I've seen enough carelessness out there that advising people to use 
an API has become my default position.  It's pert self-preservation.  Let me 
tell you, it really bites to have to follow workflow back and forth in a 
complex project to see who is spitting out he broken XML.


-- 
Uche Ogbuji                                    Fourthought, Inc.
http://uche.ogbuji.net    http://4Suite.org    http://fourthought.com
XML Data Bindings in Python - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2003/06/11/py-xml.html
Introducing Examplotron - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-x
mptron/
Charming Jython - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-jython.h
tml
The commons of creativity - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x
-think18.html
A custom-fit career in app development - http://www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id=7
744

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    • From: Tony Opatha <tonyopatha@y...>

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    • From: Rich Salz <rsalz@d...>

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