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RE: RE: Declarative programming requires a differentmindset

• From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>
• To: "xml-dev@lists.xml.org" <xml-dev@lists.xml.org>
• Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:29:38 -0400

Hi Folks,

If XSD is not a programming language then what is it?

People have said that XSD is:
   - a declarative language 
   - descriptive markup

I think that a programming language is a syntax for solving problems (where the syntax is such that it can be processed by a computer).

XSD is a syntax for solving certain problems. Specifically, XSD is for solving constraint problems, i.e.,

    Is the input ____ constrained in this ____ way?

A computer can evaluate an input document against an XSD document and produce an answer to the question, i.e., using the XSD language the problem can be solved.

I understand that the set of problems that can be solved using XSD are very specific.

People have said that a programming language is one that can solve many different kinds of problems. Certainly, then, XSD is not a programming language.

Both XSD and programming languages are languages for solving problems. So, if I were to draw a Venn diagram I would draw a:

   - bubble for XSD
   - bubble for programming languages (independent of the XSD bubble)
   - put both of the bubbles inside a big bubble

What would you label the big bubble?

Here's a graphic to illustrate my question:

http://www.xfront.com/XML-Declarative-Programming/XSD-and-programming-languages-are-a-type-of-what.gif 

/Roger

• Follow-Ups:
  • RE: RE: Declarative programming requires a different mindset
    • From: "Michael Kay" <mike@saxonica.com>
  • RE: RE: Declarative programming requires a different mindset
    • From: "G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@CraneSoftwrights.com>
  • Re: RE: Declarative programming requires a different mindset
    • From: Frank Manola <fmanola@acm.org>
  • Re: RE: Declarative programming requires a different mindset
    • From: Michael Ludwig <milu71@gmx.de>

• References:
  • RE: Declarative programming requires a different mindset
    • From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>
  • Re: RE: Declarative programming requires a differentmindset
    • From: Liam R E Quin <liam@w3.org>