Python & XML

"John E. Simpson" wrote:
> 
> I for one would love to hear about your (or anyone else's) experiences with
> Perl/Python X*L-processing tools. Thanks for bringing it up.

I have done many ordinary transformations but some of the more
sophisticated XML-related apps include tools for transforming and
pretty-printing DTDs, for generating graphical diagrams of DTDs and for
feeding XML data into various Office products. 

In addition to what Lars said about Python, here is what distinguishes it
for me: I can take a person trained only in very simple languages like
JavaScript and VB and retrain them in basic Python use in a few hours.
They don't need a Unix background because Python has few "unix-isms"
embedded in it. They don't need a C background either. They also don't
have to feel like there is this vast corpus of complexity that they don't
understand.

That means that we can quickly have experienced programmers and simple
scripters working in the same language -- and both groups love it. In a
way, this is a major step forward in information processing in general
(XML related or not).

Many companies are divided so that the technical support people in the
writing department are not sufficiently technical to maintain C++, Perl or
Lisp code. OFten they are ex-writers struggling to keep up with the
technology. If I leave them with Python then they can figure it out enough
to make the changes they need to make. I think that leaving them the
clearest, cleanest programming language is important for exactly the same
reason that leaving clear, clean code is important.

-- 
 Paul Prescod  - ISOGEN Consulting Engineer speaking for only himself
 http://itrc.uwaterloo.ca/~papresco

By lumping computers and televisions together, as if they exerted a 
single malign influence, pessimists have tried to argue that the 
electronic revolution spells the end of the sort of literate culture 
that began with Gutenberg?s press. On several counts, that now seems 
the reverse of the truth.

http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/19-12-98/index_xm0015.html


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