Re: advocating XML

["Simon St.Laurent" <simonstl@simonstl.com>]

At 02:40 PM 3/13/01 -0600, Rob Andrews wrote:
>He feels that a comma-delimited file is better in every visible
>way over XML for data storage, and is under the impression that XML has no
>value.

If:

1) You only exchange 'flat' data - rows of information, basically
and
2) You exchange only the exact same types of information all the time
and
3) You don't ever need to send your information to new people who need 
labels on the content to figure it out
and
4) You don't find any XML processing tools intriguing
and
5) You don't ever plan to show those files directly on a user's screen

Your manager might be right.

If you need information stored in structures more complex than lists of 
lists, if you need to present that to people in a browser, if you need to 
exchange it with other users more easily, or XML processing tools look like 
more powerful conveniences than the tools available for comma-delimited 
lists, your manager is most likely wrong.


Simon St.Laurent - Associate Editor, O'Reilly and Associates
XML Elements of Style / XML: A Primer, 2nd Ed.
XHTML: Migrating Toward XML
http://www.simonstl.com - XML essays and books