Re: [xml-dev] XML 2.0

["Peter Hunsberger" <peter.hunsberger@gmail.com>]

On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 12:39 PM, Rick Jelliffe
<rjelliffe@allette.com.au> wrote:
> What is the difference between a document with multiple roots and a
>  document with a single root?  One start tag and one end tag.

In addition to Michaels logging use case another standard use case is
dynamic aggregation of multiple resources for presentation where those
multiple resources have different cache lifetimes.

For example, consider a Web based editor; an initial request will
require all resources.  As editing proceeds individual resources will
get invalidated and must be cycled through the back end. If you want
to treat them consistently on the front you have to add the extra
wrapping step even though it now adds no value what-so-ever. The
alternative ends up being that AJAX style asynchronous requests for
each resource and handling them individually. Once you've done that
you might as well use JSON, then you don't have to worry about
artificially packing up individual resources in the first place.

One start tag and one end tag ends up hiding the fact that you have
multiple resources in a single "package" (may not be a file) and
requiring artificial work arounds that add no extra value but do cost
processing resources....

-- 
Peter Hunsberger