Re: When To Use Schemas (Was RE: infinite depth to namespaces)

["John E. Simpson" <simpson@polaris.net>]

At 09:26 AM 09/03/2001 +1000, Marcus Carr wrote:
>...Given the question though (I'm designing my own simple XML
>vocabulary, but I don't understand either DTDs or XML Schema. What can I
>do?), I don't think that validation necessarily even enters the
>equation. A DTD is a very useful aid to designing and maintaining an XML
>vocabulary, regardless of whether it is subsequently used for
>validation. Perhaps John should have asked himself a slightly different
>question...:-)

:)  In my own defense, what I was really going on about there wasn't 
validation per se, the general usefulness of DTDs/schemata, and so on. It 
was the relentless focus on them -- as though it's impossible to do 
anything at all useful without them. ("The focus on DTDs and XML Schema as 
the hallmark of so-called real XML has done more to damage XML's widespread 
use and popularity [etc.]...") They're extremely useful tools once you've 
got the basics nailed down, but can be a stumbling block en route to that 
point.

Not wanting to drift off into pedagogical theory or anything, but it's 
generally a question of deductive vs. inductive learning. Teach someone 
well-formed first, and teaching them valid later will be a piece of cake 
(especially when they ask the question themselves: "How do I assert that 
structure/datatype X is *required*?"). Make them learn valid first and 
you'll postpone their doing *anything*. It's like forcing them to attend 
the first half-dozen sessions of a course in Java or C++ before showing 
them the "Hello world!" exercise.

Mostly I just wanted a question that would trigger some righteous 
indignation in me... even if the hypothetical newbie didn't get her actual 
question answered in the process!

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John E. Simpson        | "I saw a sign: 'Rest Area 25 Miles'. That's
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