RE: [xml-dev] Incongruous UML data models and XSD data models

["Tom Magliery" <tom.magliery@justsystems.com>]

One nice thing about that direct visual representation, e.g. when you
are teaching someone about how documents have structure, is that when
you finally show them some XML markup, if you've crafted your diagram
and markup example just so, you can draw boxes around the elements in
your sample code and end up with the exact same diagram that you showed
them a few minutes before.

mag
-- 
Tom Magliery
JustSystems Canada, Inc.


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Kay [mailto:mike@saxonica.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 2:28 PM
To: Peter Flynn
Cc: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: Re: [xml-dev] Incongruous UML data models and XSD data models 

The "nested boxes" graphical representation of a hierarchy can sometimes
be useful, and it has the advantage of providing a direct visual
representation of a "containment" relationship. In dealing with document
structures, some people will recognize its use in "clause analysis".

One problem (but that's true of most graphical representations of trees)
is that it doesn't scale well - you quickly run out of paper.

However, the tree metaphor for a data structure is very readily
understood and very ancient - it goes back at least to the tree of Jesse
in Isaiah.

Michael Kay
Saxonica


> In trying to teach [about] XML, I think we all tend at some stage to
> have used the tree as a reference, which is a pity, because the
> classical "family-tree" diagram of XML is upside down: really more of
a
> root-system.
> 
> Near&Far did at least present its diagram sideways, but I think that
may
> have been because it's more usual to have XML documents with greater
> width (siblings, represented vertically) than depth (descendants,
> represented horizontally). If you have to start adding non-element
> nodes, the whole tree-metaphor becomes unreadably dense.
> 
> How are most of the people we want to present a graphical model to
> at understanding different-shaped boxes joined by lines anyway?
> 



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