Re: [xml-dev] [OT] Re: [xml-dev] Lessons learned from the XML experiment

[David Sheets <kosmo.zb@gmail.com>]

On Sat, Nov 16, 2013 at 2:09 PM, Simon St.Laurent <simonstl@simonstl.com> wrote:
> On 11/16/13 9:05 AM, David Sheets wrote:
>>>
>>> "Refute" was the wrong choice of words, then.  "Refute" usually asks for
>>> a
>>> strong demolition, not just a glancing blow.  That was why I made the
>>> same
>>> complaint John just did.
>>
>>
>> If I make an assertion and you respond with "Absolutely not", I expect
>> you to muster a refutation. If you say "Why do you make this claim?",
>> I am more than happy to lay out my argument.
>
>
> Uche did ask such a thing, with "After you."  It did not appear to go over
> well.
>
> In any case, asking for refutation sounds more like a dare than a request
> for clarification.
>
>
>>> I think you meant to say "Can element omission be used to model optional
>>> [data structures]".
>>>
>>> "Can", of course.  Well, sort of.  The interesting question isn't "can",
>>> but
>>> "is it a good idea?".  There's no general answer to that - it all depends
>>> on
>>> what you want to do and in what context.
>>
>>
>> Is it a better idea than using the string "null"? Other solutions
>> include special attributes or a distinct element. Are there still more
>> that are simple to express in XML the Syntax?
>>
>> Does XML lack something that would make using the command string
>> "null" preferable to one of these other options in some context?
>
>
> Is this a Zen koan exercise?  There is no general answer.  The only answers
> exist in specific contexts people create.

And so, we learn nothing about how the design of XML does or does not
influence bad data design.

> Thanks,
> --
> Simon St.Laurent
> http://simonstl.com/
>
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