[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: RE: XML is Like a Box of Chocolates
hm e-mail On 03/06/2012 08:48 AM, cbullard@hiwaay.net wrote: > And not in a world full of rtf controls, pngs, bmps, tiffs, and so on. > > Panglossian. > > len > > Quoting David Lee <dlee@calldei.com>: > >> So you've tossed plain text and multimedia (audio, video etc) as useful? >> >> >> Sent from my iPad (excuse the terseness) >> David A Lee >> dlee@calldei.com<mailto:dlee@calldei.com> >> >> >> On Mar 5, 2012, at 7:59 PM, "Kurt Cagle" >> <kurt.cagle@gmail.com<mailto:kurt.cagle@gmail.com>> wrote: >> >> >> Bruce, >> >> I like Jenni Tennisons notion that we are moving to an infrastructure >> in which all data moves over one of four formats: html (rich text), >> xml (documents), json (data structures) and rdf (assertions), with >> the caveat that rdf's preferred format is turtle notation. It's an >> intriguing thought. >> >> Kurt Cagle >> >> On Mar 5, 2012 5:52 PM, "Cox, Bruce" >> <Bruce.Cox@uspto.gov<mailto:Bruce.Cox@uspto.gov>> wrote: >> Roger L. Costello, your tombstone will be labeled "The Great >> Provocateur" and carved in the shape of a Valrhona Truffle. How dare >> you refer to the contents of a box of chocolate as "meaningless!" >> >> Of course, the organization and processing of content is HIGHLY >> MEANINGFUL, even if only to the businesses that invest in its XML >> representation. Do you suppose that the idea of organization is >> somehow a fiction used to seduce those with money to give it to those >> who play with pointy brackets? Granted, I've seen similar tactics >> used to milk DARPA funding, but we aren't all so mercenary. >> >> Kidding aside (yes, that was actually intended to be a joke, so >> please don't anyone take it seriously), I think you've swung the >> pendulum too far to the abstract with this analogy, Roger. If there >> is meaning in XML, it's in the content, not the syntax. But if there >> is a right way to process the content, that process is guided by the >> markup. The markup lubricates that special part of the business >> process that can be reduced to symbol processing. If there is one >> paramount constraint on that processing, it is that it must not >> violate the meaning invested in the content by the content owners. >> Believe me, that's a trick worth performing, and paying for. >> >> However, I think your analogy is worth developing. It will certainly >> hold the attention of your readers. And consider a role for wrapping >> paper. >> >> Somewhat off topic: Which brings to mind a program on Science channel >> (How it's Done? Mega factories?) that showed a major UPS sorting >> center. Bar codes were used for most packages to move them from the >> flight they arrived on to the loading dock of the flight or truck >> they were leaving on. But not all. Very large or small packages got >> sorted using other methods, usually requiring manual intervention to >> a greater or lesser degree. XML, like bar codes, will cover a wide >> range of processing, but not all cases. >> >> Bruce B Cox >> OCIO/AED/Software Architecture and Engineering Division >> 571-272-9004<tel:571-272-9004> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Costello, Roger L. >> [mailto:costello@mitre.org<mailto:costello@mitre.org>] >> Sent: 2012 March 4, Sunday 09:06 >> To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org<mailto:xml-dev@lists.xml.org> >> Subject: XML is Like a Box of Chocolates >> >> Hi Folks, >> >> XML is like a box of chocolates. >> >> Here's how: >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> Organize the Chocolates that I Received >> -------------------------------------------------- >> >> Recently I received some chocolates: >> >> - Truffles, I put them in a box and wrote on the outside of the box >> "Spherical" >> - M&Ms, I put them in another box and wrote on the outside of that >> box, "Shiny" >> - Chocolate covered peanuts, I received a lot so I divided them into >> two boxes and wrote on the outside of each box, "Nutty" >> >> I stacked the boxes like so: Spherical on top of Shiny on top of the >> two Nutty. >> >> Then I took this stack and put them all inside a box and wrote on the >> outside of that box, "Chocolates" >> >> Oh, I also received a chocolate bar which I hooked on top of the >> "Chocolates" box. >> >> See how I organized the chocolates? >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> What's the Meaning of that Organization of Chocolates? >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> I hooked the chocolate bar on top of the "Chocolates" box. Is there >> some special significance to that? >> >> I placed the two "Nutty" boxes on the bottom of the stack. Is there >> some special significance to that? >> >> What's the meaning of this organization? >> >> Obviously it has no meaning. It is simply the way I organized my >> chocolates. To attach meaning to this organization is assigning >> meaning where none exists. >> >> XML is like this organization of chocolates. An XML document is just >> a collection of data where each item of data has been boxed (enclosed >> in start-tag, end-tag pairs) or hooked onto a box (attribute). There >> is no meaning to the organization. >> >> ---------------------------- >> Eating the Chocolates >> ---------------------------- >> >> Today I ate a truffle. When I eat a truffle I like to take my time >> and enjoy it, so I bite off just a tiny piece, let it sit in my mouth >> until it melts, and then swallow it; then repeat with the next tiny >> bite. >> >> My brother, on the other hand, pops the entire truffle into his >> mouth, chews on it for a few seconds, and swallows it. >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> What's the Right Way to Eat Chocolates? >> -------------------------------------------------- >> >> I eat chocolates in a different way than my brother. Am I right and >> he's wrong? >> >> Obviously not. We are each entitled to eat chocolates however we desire. >> >> I should mention that I eat brussel sprouts differently than I eat >> chocolates. For brussel sprouts I pop one into my mouth, quickly >> chew, and swallow. So if I were doing a blind taste test of various >> foods, it would be hard for me to know how to eat each food. >> >> I need to know "what" I am eating to know "how" to eat it. >> >> Analogously, there is no right way to process XML. To each his own. >> What is important, however, is to know "what" the data is. >> >> ------------------------------- >> Giving Gifts of Chocolate >> ------------------------------- >> >> I think chocolates are a great gift. So last Christmas I gave a box >> of chocolates to each of my siblings. >> >> Earlier I described an organization of chocolates. I used that as a >> template. For each sibling I made a box of chocolates following that >> template. That is, to be placed within each "Chocolates" box are: >> >> - 1 box containing truffles >> - 1 box containing M&Ms >> - 2 boxes containing chocolate covered peanuts. >> >> And hooked onto the "Chocolates" box is a chocolate bar. >> >> ------------------------------------------------ >> What's the Meaning of this Template? >> ------------------------------------------------ >> >> Does the template give meaning to the gift boxes? >> >> Obviously not. The template simply shows "how to" organize the boxes >> (or, once accomplished, how each box is organized). >> >> Likewise, XML Schema (and Relax NG and DTD) just show "how to" >> organize data in XML documents. Schemas have no meaning. >> >> --------- >> Recap >> --------- >> >> An XML document is just an organization of data. Organization has no >> meaning. Be careful that you don't implicitly assign meaning where >> none exists. For example, XML attributes are not "meta-data" and they >> have no "scope". Analogously, it would be foolhardy to claim that >> because the chocolate bar is hooked onto the "Chocolates" box it is >> somehow "meta-chocolate" and it "scopes" all the chocolates inside >> the box. >> >> XML documents can be processed any way you want. There is no right >> way. Don't prescribe "how" to process data. However, do describe >> "what" the data is. But don't depend on the element or attribute >> names to describe "what" the data is. I labeled the box containing >> the M&Ms "Shiny", that hardly tells "what" is inside the box. >> Describe "what" the data is using a data specification and possibly >> an ontology. >> >> XML Schema (and Relax NG and DTD) are just templates that describe >> how to organize XML documents. Schemas have no meaning. >> >> ------------------------- >> Related Discussions >> ------------------------- >> >> The Edge of Chaos: Where Syntax Ends and Interpretation Begins >> (http://www.xfront.com/The-edge-of-chaos-where-syntax-ends-and-interpretation-begins.pdf) >> >> >> The XML Literalist >> (http://www.stylusstudio.com/xmldev/201103/post90060.html) >> >> Comments? >> >> /Roger >> > > > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > XML-DEV is a publicly archived, unmoderated list hosted by OASIS > to support XML implementation and development. To minimize > spam in the archives, you must subscribe before posting. > > [Un]Subscribe/change address: http://www.oasis-open.org/mlmanage/ > Or unsubscribe: xml-dev-unsubscribe@lists.xml.org > subscribe: xml-dev-subscribe@lists.xml.org > List archive: http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ > List Guidelines: http://www.oasis-open.org/maillists/guidelines.php >
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