[XML-SIG] Expat (Was: Strange install issue)

[Dinu Gherman]

Martin v. Loewis:

> At the time the XML libraries were integrated, nobody suggested to
> incorporate Expat (check the archives). It is always easy to appear
> smart from the historical perspective :-(
>
> I really hate arguing at some point with people to explain them why
> things should be done in some way, and then, if they are done in a
> different way, to explain people why they have been done that way.

There must be a missing sentence here or something, otherwise
I can't believe that statement! You say why you do X, but do
Y and hate to say why? ;-) It would make more sense if it is
not you in both cases.

> Does it really surprise you that people are human beings, instead of
> being omnipotent? Besides, what is the point of pointing out your
> surprise?

Before we get totally off-track here: I do know the difference
between software and people. Unlike people, software can be in-
finitely changed, while it is much more difficult for people to
reconsider their own decisions.

In this case that means, std. Python XML is worth less for me
than I thought. I was confused because on Windows nothing indi-
cated to me it had more "batteries" than on other platforms,
and on Unix I erroneously thought it was included because once
I tried PyXML, but for some reasons uninstalled it again (which
very likely means expat was still there, afterwards). All this
has implications for distributing software building on add-ons.
I once asked you of how many companies/products you know which
were really using PyXML and you said none, remember?

I'm just reporting "user experience", which one is rarely able
to point out when things are "integrated", but only when star-
ting to "use" them. If this information is useless to you, it's
been worth for me to find out.

Regards,

Dinu