Re: Fwd: [xml-dev] Not using mixed content? Then don't use XML

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

On 4/7/13 12:42 PM, Liam R E Quin wrote:
> If you change "is" to "can be" then I'm OK with the statement, since I
> believe that pretty much any technology or practice can cause problems
> when mis-applied.

Sorry, Liam.  I can't make that change.  In fact...

> I prefer, however, to ask, "under what circumstances are XML Schemas
> beneficial, and when can Schemas (of any kind) sensibly be used as a
> design aid at or near the start of a project? What factors lead to
> success and what factors lead to problems?"

To repeat and expand:

... schema-first or schema-centric design, any situation in which the 
schema is considered more than a snapshot of current conversational 
practice, is actively harmful.

Schemas are in fact, most harmful if used as designed, as foundation 
tools for describing vocabularies.  They may be less harmful if used 
only as documentation, as a snapshot of practice, but even those 
snapshots bring the risk of being used in ways that create deep brittleness.

Again, I think that's true of all schema vocabularies, though 
Examplotron usage seems likely to avoid heightening the second risk.
  Schematron and Examplotron at least can be used for a variety of 
different kinds of partial testing that can be used without especially 
describing document structure.

Thanks, and more soon,
-- 
Simon St.Laurent
http://simonstl.com/