If an XML parser is requested to parse an XML document and noapplication

["Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>]

Hi Folks,

    If a tree falls in a forest and no one 
    is around to hear it, does it make a 
    sound?

Similarly, 

    If an XML parser is requested to parse
    an XML document and no application 
    is around to process its output, does it 
    really parse the XML document?

We perceive that an XML document has been parsed because there is an XML application that invokes the fruits of the parse and does something with it (displays, computes, etc.)

Perhaps the XML parser is a lazy parser and refuses to do anything until prodded by an XML application. So if there is no XML application, there is no parsing.

Thoughts?

/Roger