Why do XML and OFX have subtle differences?

[Martin Bryan]

At 00:19 12/7/97 -0400, Giovanni Flammia wrote:

> The one difference that I see is this
>one. When the data
>being transmitted is a simple list of of key-value pairs, XML would do
>it like this:
>
><userid>name</userid>
><userpassword>mypassword</userpassword>
>
>or like this:
>
><userid value=name />
><userpassword value=mypassword />
>
>Otherwise, the tagging scheme is pretty much compatible (correct me if
>I'm wrong).
>
>I think it would be highly desirable that either XML incorporates the
>simpler OFX listing
>with no ending tag, or OFX comply to XML.

Unfortunately we lost this battle in the XML debate - XML forces you to use
end-tags even where their absence is detectable as it presumes you need to
know nothing about the DTD to be able to parse it. If you do not know
whether <userpassword> is a subelement of or a sibling of <userid> you need
the end-tag to tell you.
----
Martin Bryan, 29 Oldbury Orchard, Churchdown, Glos. GL3 2PU, UK 
Phone/Fax: +44 1452 714029  E-mail: mtbryan at sgml.u-net.com 
For details about The SGML Centre contact http://www.sgml.u-net.com/
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