RE: ASN.1 and XML

[Frank Richards <frichards@softquad.com>]

>
> Believe me. I've done a lot of work with data transfer
> between different
> companies. And the kinds of issues that XML claims to solve
> are the least
> of our worries. Some of them can't get a CSV file right (they randomly
> change date formats) - although a schema validator would pick that up
> earlier than our date parsing function does,it'd still be
> broken until we
> fixed the date parsing function (and at least we don't have to try and
> update a regexp in a schema to allow for their new date
> format every time
> they change it :-). If they can't get a CSV correct (random change of
> delimiters!), their chances of producing well formed XML aren't that
> great :-)
>



Once again, you're treading in places I've been. When they call me 'cause it
ain't workin',
I can count pointy brackets on my fingers and see the problem. I have to
mung the CSV with a
computer to figure it out.

Then I scan the source code for "<foo>" and "</foo>" and have the thing
fixed before I could have found the off-by-one in three nested loops that
only print ",".

Frank