Re: SAX Filters for Namespace Processing

[Tom Bradford <bradford@dbxmlgroup.com>]

Jonathan Borden wrote:
> I have no idea who you hang out with, or what your criteria are for using
> XML as a data format, as opposed to a way of life, however I use XML as a
> data format on a daily basis ... and give no thought to the fact that the
> system I am using is XML (honestly). Of course the system uses XML
> namespaces.

I'd also say that you (Jonathan Borden) are one of few exceptions to the
rule.  I don't know many other 'users' who are also producing
specifications for things such as resource definitions, access control,
etc.  I am also an exception to the rule, except that I am involved in a
project where the needs of my users are something I deal with
constantly.  For quite some time, dbXML didn't have support for XPath
namespaces, and it wasn't requested until a few weeks ago, and by only
two people out of quite a few.

> For example: XSLT. Hard to use it without using namespaces, eh?

An unfortunate biproduct of defining XSLT as an XML grammar.  As an XML
grammar, could it have been done without namespaces?  Sure.  And again,
I'm not against namespaces, I'm against their abuse.  I don't really
like the mechanism itself, but a namespacing system is necessary for
some cases.

> Shrug. The EDI folks are looking pretty closely at XML.

Yes, I know.  I was one of those EDI users.  The simpicity of XML is
what drew me to it. 

> Shrug. I suspect that alot of carpentry _businesses_ will be using XML in
> some form or another (hopefully unbeknownst to them!!) in several years or
> so.

That's if XML survives the backlash that will definitely come if the
bloat continues at its current rate.

-- Tom