XML for meta-information (was Re: Deposing Dictators)

[Peter Hansen]

Bruce Sass wrote:
[...lots snipped...]
> I guess what I'm beating around the bush about is that XML should be
> seen as just one view of a "project", and the main view should be
> based on something easily translatable to and from other common
> representations (XML?)  

I see XML as *the* way to encode information which "should
be easily translatable to and from other common
representations".  I have no disagreement with the view
that XML is not easily readable, especially for data of
even the slightest sophistication.  I just don't think it is
worth reinventing the wheel with yet another data format when
we're talking about inter-application communication of
data, which is the essence of the "meta-information"
question.  XML is (trying to be) the one standard for
this, as much as possible.

-- 
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Peter Hansen, P.Eng.
peter at engcorp.com