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Re: The markup minimalist

• From: "Simon St.Laurent" <simonstl@simonstl.com>
• To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
• Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 08:19:34 -0500

On 11/01/2014 06:19 PM, Damian Morris wrote:

I disagree with most blanket rules, but this one especially. Anyone
who’s tried to reconstruct any more than the most simple data model out
of an Apple .plist format - a classic “flat” XML format - will no doubt
agree (or else will surely agree to being an XPath and XSLT junkie!).

This, I think, makes more sense:

*The Markup Minimalist Credo:*
*1. Use the minimal amount of markup necessary to effectively
communicate your data.*

Where the key words are

- “effectively” - don’t make more work for anyone, sender or receiver,
than you need to; and
- “communicate” - why make it easy for the sender but ridiculously hard
for the receiver? They’re both rather important parties in any
communication.

Perhaps it can be better summed up this way:

*The Markup Minimalist Credo:*
*1. Don’t blindly follow rules. Think about what you’re doing, and apply
some of your experience and intelligence.*

Cheers,

Damian

On 2 Nov 2014, at 12:32 am, Costello, Roger L. <costello@mitre.org
<mailto:costello@mitre.org>> wrote:

The Markup Minimalist Credo

1.Flatter is better. Add structure (markup) to XML only when
absolutely necessary.

2.Data exchange formats: make them flat.

3.When sending data to consumers, distribute the data in a flat format.

4.When consumers receive the flat XML they may add structure (markup)
to facilitate simpler and more efficient Schematron assertions and/or
simpler and more efficient application processing. Different consumers
will add different structure (markup), depending on their (local)
requirements.

Comments?

/Roger

• References:
  • The markup minimalist
    • From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>
  • Re: The markup minimalist
    • From: Damian Morris <damian@moso.com.au>