XML overuse? (was Re: Python to XML to Python conversion)

[Huaiyu Zhu]

Clark C . Evans <cce at clarkevans.com> wrote:
>On Tue, Jul 16, 2002 at 10:14:51PM +0000, Huaiyu Zhu wrote:
>
>| There are facilities for conversion among the data structures: set, seq,
>| dict, seqdict, with various specifications.  I do not see how yaml indicates
>| the types of structures.
>
>YAML does this with the bang (!) you can see this in the preview
>for type family (http://yaml.org/spec/#preview-family) and also
>in the transfer method section (http://yaml.org/spec/#syntax-trans)

It appears that the bang is used to indicate any types.  I found it better
to separate structural types (seq, dict, ...) from terminal types (str, int,
date and time, ...).  The former is finite in number and predefined (at any
moment in time, at least), and necessary for all the navigation tools that
traverse the data structure.  The latter is numerous, application dependent,
and should be considered as blackboxes by the generic tools.

I'd suggest grouping all the structural types together in one section and
describe their semantical relations.  Also group all the terminal types
together in one section and indicate that they are only first examples for
endless possibilities.

All in all I find YAML quite impressive.  Congrats on an excellent job in
documenting and promoting it, unlike me, who let things fizzle and rot.

Huaiyu