Re: [xml-dev] Top 5 posters to xml-dev

[Robert Koberg <rob@koberg.com>]

On Dec 10, 2008, at 1:43 PM, John Snelson wrote:

> Robert Koberg wrote:
>> On Dec 10, 2008, at 12:59 PM, Simon St.Laurent wrote:
>>> Robert Koberg wrote:
>>>>> It's a huge project, well worth exploration and discussion.  It  
>>>>> definitely meets the XML-centric criteria of recent threads here.
>>>> It uses a good deal of javascript (doesn't really work without  
>>>> it) and several MarkLogic specifc extensions (I don't know if  
>>>> they are written in java or C)
>>>
>>> On the client side, you're right to wonder about this.  I meant on  
>>> the server side, where XQuery is sifting through vast volumes of  
>>> data.
>> That's the thing. On the server side, they are using proprietary  
>> (and often duplicated) extensions written in java and/or C.
>
> Does that mean that you can't write a Java application, because it  
> has a JVM written in C?

I did not say anything like that. You can write whatever you want. I  
did not even mention that the web server is most likely not written in  
XQuery... I guess I was being a troll and further venting my  
frustration that XQuery *needs* proprietary extensions to make it work  
like a PHP for smart folk :)

> I think your line of argument misses the point.

My main point is (and has been in a related thread) that XQuery/XML DB  
vendors create a lot of non standard extensions and that most XQuery  
written is not standard. The thread I am referring to was about how  
XML Schema processors are like browser wars. I mentioned that I  
thought XQuery was more like browser wars. That brought up the write  
your apps in XQuery/XSL. I said that XQuery kind of sucks as it stands  
now because of all the proprietary extensions.

The benefit of a standardized language is that it is standardized. You  
can't drop the MarkMail app in another XQuery/XML DB and have it work.  
But, you could probably rename some of the namespaces for things like  
get-parameter and the like to make it work.

-Rob

> Extensions or otherwise, the back end of Markmail is still written  
> in a language that understands XML as a first class datatype - and  
> it's development has been simpler as a consequence.
>
> John
>
> -- 
> John Snelson, Oracle Corporation            http://snelson.org.uk/john
> Berkeley DB XML:            http://oracle.com/database/berkeley-db/xml
> XQilla:                                  http://xqilla.sourceforge.net