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Ciaran McCreesh wrote: |
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> On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 08:49:42 -0500 "Nathan L. Adams" <nadams@××××.org> |
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> wrote: |
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> | 6. Ciaran is completely biased against XML (or anything that isn't |
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> | stored as a simple flat file) ;) |
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> |
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> It's not bias. I give XML exactly what it deserves. SGML is a giant |
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> fire breathing stomping monster useful for crushing Tokyo. XML is the |
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> spawn of said giant fire breathing stomping monster that's had its |
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> claws and teeth removed, its jaws glued shut, its legs chained together |
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> and its tail nailed to the ground. And we're not trying to destroy any |
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> large cities here... |
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> |
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|
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<rant> |
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You're just missing the fact that a flat file (or whatever it is you're |
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clinging to; for the purpose of this rant, I shall refer to your simple |
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data format as "flat file") has trade-offs, just like XML's trade off is |
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parsing overhead. XML was designed to solve certain problems; |
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portability of data, separation and portability of presentation from the |
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data, etc. Complexity in the parser is the trade-off. |
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|
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Flat files can be great in certain situations. Flat files do indeed make |
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the parsing trivial. However SIMPLE CODE ISN'T ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT |
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REQUIREMENT. In the case of this GLEP, the most important requirement is |
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getting the proper migration info to the users in the best possible way. |
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|
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So what are the trade-offs of the 'flat file'? If you store a migration |
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guide as a 'flat file', its not going to be very readable. I would |
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certainly rather read info in GuideXML than some garbage output by einfo |
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or the like (and I'm talking about the same exact data, just a different |
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presentation). You're being daft if you say that your average terminal |
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output is easier to read and understand than the same data in proper |
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GuideXML format. OK, you say, you have a point there. But, you say, my |
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flat file allows me to write a 'presentation' proggy in relatively few |
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lines of trivial code. Yes, but now you have to write a new presentation |
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program for every type of presentation you want to do. Or worse you |
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would imbed the presentation in the data itself and make a new copy of |
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the data every time you want to present it differently. But, you say, |
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don't you have to do that with XML (i.e. a new style sheet definition |
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for each presentation)? Sure, but I don't have to re-write firefox in |
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the process... |
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|
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So the point is that, yes, XML has a down side. But plain text, CSV |
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files, whatever have their downsides too. And the point of this GLEP |
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shouldn't be to push any XML-bashing agenda, it should be to present the |
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user with the migration guide in the best possible way. GuideXML is the |
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standard for Gentoo docs for some damn good reasons! |
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</rant> |
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|
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Nathan |
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