Re: [xml-dev] ten years later, time to repeat it?

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

Pete Cordell wrote:
>> The lack of types is what makes XML a distinct improvement over some 
>> competing efforts. It is not an accident or an oversight, but part of 
>> the core value proposition of XML.
> 
> Maybe for some.  But not for all.

The lack of typing is a problem for some people.  However, I'd argue 
that inserting typing into the core of XML would create much larger 
problems that are harder to fix than just using xsi:type is for people 
who want such typing.  (And xml:type is a feature addition that's 
incompatible with subsetting in any event.)

I've argued for years that people who want strong typing in their data 
transfer would be wiser to create a different format that addresses 
their needs instead of forcing their needs into a format that wasn't 
really designed to do what they want.  That's part of why I've been a 
strong supporter of YAML and JSON.  (Okay, ASN.1 wasn't such a good idea.)

It's pretty clear that I haven't convinced everyone, though.


Thanks,
Simon St.Laurent
Retiring XML troublemaker
http://simonstl.com/