RE: XML is _post_ OO

["Al B. Snell" <alaric@alaric-snell.com>]

On Wed, 23 May 2001, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:

> However, the interface might be (and very often is) 
> as simple as Import<->Export fields of hopefully 
> structured data.  Can one code smarter interfaces? 
> Sure.  Can one afford to do that often?  No.  So 
> very often it comes down to, show me your names, 
> descriptions, and field lengths, I'll show you 
> mine.  Whatever we determine is common, we exchange. 
> Beyond that, the information loses or Mr Customer 
> pays one of us to make adjustments.

Indeed; standards happen when commonly needed interfaces that really do
the same thing compete and a winner emerges, often aided by pressure from
a nice standards body or nasty vendor...

...but still standards happen. I am perplexed by people who say that
agreed interfaces cannot happen on the Internet.... read the RFCs! People
are not forced to conform, and many implementations add vendor extensions
and all, but unless the standard is broken or vendors get nasty, there is
usually interoperability as per the RFC - the vendor extensions don't
prevent that...

> Len 

ABS