Re: [xml-dev] Please stop writing specifications that cannot be parsed/processed by software

On 6/9/2023 1:07 PM, C. M. Sperberg-McQueen wrote:
> 
> Marcus Reichardt <> 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.