Re: [xml-dev] Please stop writing specifications that cannot beparsed/pr

[Thomas Passin <list1@tompassin.net>]

On 6/9/2023 1:07 PM, C. M. Sperberg-McQueen wrote:
> Marcus Reichardt <u123724@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > ...
> > > The relatively deep intertwining of validation with everything else
> > > in ISO 8879 makes it hard to write even simple tools.
> > What would those tools be?
[snip]

> Not everyone who faces the task of processing SGML or XML documents is
> in a position to write a parser library for SGML or XML.  I think
> task-specific ad-hoc parsers are mostly written by people who have not
> just finished creating a full parser.  I don't know how many of them are
> in fact written now.  As you have observed, anyone in a position to use
> an off-the-shelf parser library will -- assuming the API is simple
> enough -- often find it more convenient to use an off the shelf parser.

Also, if one is not familiar with the parser or parser API, and the task 
is not too hard, it can be quicker and easier to write a hack for the 
purpose than to figure out the parser and make it work.