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Re: specific element vs. generic element with a type attribute

• To: "Tolkin, Steve" <Steve.Tolkin@f...>
• Subject: Re: specific element vs. generic element with a type attribute
• From: "Peter Hunsberger" <peter.hunsberger@g...>
• Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 08:41:50 -0600
• Cc: xml-dev@l...
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On 3/12/06, Tolkin, Steve <Steve.Tolkin@f...> wrote:
> Which is better: using a set of specific elements or a generic element
> with a type attribute?

I can't add much to the advice you've already got except to note that
sometimes traditional data modelling can help make such decisions. 
For example, if you have an object model where orangeFee and yellowFee
are treated differently then that tells you something.  Similarly, if
you've got a database schema that has separate tables then that also
tells you something.  In such cases, using the specific elements may
make more sense.

Having said that, there are times you might want specific elements
even when neither of these conditions is true.  In such cases name
spaces can help partition off generic classes of elements that are
individually names.

--
Peter Hunsberger

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  • specific element vs. generic element with a type attribute
    • From: "Tolkin, Steve" <Steve.Tolkin@F...>

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