Re: [xml-dev] Feasibility of "do all application coding in the XMLlangua

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

Michael Kay wrote:
>>> I am exploring the idea of "do all application coding in 
>> the XML languages."
>>
>> Basic question: why?
> 
> Writing your application in a single language, if you can do it, will always
> give you a substantial reduction in complexity versus using multiple
> languages.

Why does this feel like a dreadful case of premature optimization coming 
on?

I mean, yes, I enjoy working in Rails, which lets Ruby hide most of the 
XML and SQL processing going on, but I also recognize that much of the 
virtue there lies in Ruby's flexibility, not its tight binding to a 
particular data format or model.

> And writing in a language that is well adapted to the data it is required to
> process will save you a lot of effort (human and machine effort) in doing
> data conversion.

A lot depends here on what kind of data you have and what kind of 
conversion you need.

If, for instance, you're swapping data around using XML, but the data 
really represents 'square' relational data, the fact that the incoming 
format is XML probably shouldn't determine your choice of language for 
processing it.  Dropping it back into tables and using SQL may indeed 
make a lot more sense.  Ditto if the data is "really" objects, or graphs.

>> But again, why would anyone sane want to do all of their 
>> application coding in specifically XML-oriented languages?
> 
> If all the inputs and outputs of the application are in XML, and if the
> processing is within the capabilities of those languages, then why would you
> want to do anything else?

Because I think this situation genuinely applies in about 5-10% of 
actual applications...

Please, certainly, promote your excellent tools for those applications - 
but let's not all get drunk on the prospect of XML data needing XML 
processing.

Thanks,
Simon St.Laurent
Now definitely an XML refugee