On Sat, May 18, 2002 at 01:24:59PM +0100, David Golden wrote:
> XML is NOT "one format". It's a (heinously bloated) means of specifying file
> formats that can be parsed in a particular way. (XML == tree)
I'm glad someone else pointed this out. XML is not a format but rather a
language in which information can be written in a way specified by a DTD.
> Even MS Office files are pretty much compiant XML these days,
> but what use is XML if it's
>> <MYDOC>
> <SCRAMBLED-LINE>
> dshjkfbesklerikuwesbtiwebweilbtfiwebiwebt123124
> </SCRAMBLED-LINE>
> ...
> ...
> </MYDOC>
Indeed, and Microsoft has hinted that it may apply for patents/copyright on its DTDs
to prevent other people (i.e. GPL software) using it.
> XML is overrated.
Yes and no. It's big (standard and files), no doubt, but that's an
unavoidable side effect of what it tries to do. The OO/SO file format AFAIK
is a ZIPPED collection of XML parts (I'm sure there's a more buzzword
compliant word than parts) to help deal with the filesize issue.
Niall
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