XML Information Set Requirements, W3C Note 18-February-1999

[Michael.Orr at Design-Intelligence.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clark Evans [mailto:clark.evans at manhattanproject.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 18, 1999 9:09 PM
> Subject: Re: XML Information Set Requirements, W3C Note 18-February-1999
> 
(snip)
> Constantly viewing XML as a standard for the description 
> of "data objects" and not "data streams" is a subtle, and 
> important bias.  It is taking object-orientation too far 
> and discarding parallel stream processing, and it's related
> technologies like SAX and SAXON.

I'd like to understand this better... 

Naive question 1: Ignoring the realities of engaging with the
recommendation process, just focusing on understanding the nature of
your concerns, what types of requirements, modes of thought, etc. would
become more prominent if the objects-over-streams bias were suddenly
removed? For instance, is one aspect of your thinking a desire to chunk
an "XML stream" so that validation can be performed incrementally, while
still wishing the XML rec to govern the overall well-formedness (?) of
the stream as a whole? Or is this totally off base? I'm groping to
understand the point of view you're promoting here... 

Naive question 2: Is there anything to be learned from the DTDs that
have been defined to date for applications that raise stream-ish issues
to one extent or another? I'm thinking of things like ICE for content
syndication, CDF for push channels, CBL and cXML for e-commerce, etc.
Not trying to make any particular point here (and I don't know these
specs in depth) -- it would just seem they must have engaged some of the
questions you're raising and might therefore throw light on the
capabilities, drawbacks, and coping paradigms available with current
approaches. 

Just looking for a better understanding of the issues, 
Mike

----------------------------------------
Michael Orr, CTO, VP R&D
Design Intelligence Inc, Seattle WA USA
http://www.design-intelligence.com
pager:888-688-4609  fax:206-343-7750


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