What is XML for?

[Frank Boumphrey]

Paul Prescod wrote:

>>I've noticed a very unfortunate trend among my customers. They want to
replace relational databases with XML. They want to replace purpose-built
query languages with XSL.<<

What wouldn't I give for your customers.  My customers eyes start to glaze
over when I start talking about XML!!

Frank
Frank Boumphrey

Style and XML information http://www.hypermedic.com/style/index.htm
Author: Professional Style Sheets for HTML and XML http:// www.wrox.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Prescod <paul at prescod.net>
To: <xml-dev at ic.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, January 29, 1999 12:50 PM
Subject: What is XML for?


>David Megginson wrote:
>>
>> Why would you be disappointed if you were following best practice?
>> This is *exactly* the right way to use XML, at least in the data
>> world.  XML is designed to be an exchange format that allows different
>> systems to talk to each other; it does not dictate how those systems
>> should deal with the information internally.
>
>I've noticed a very unfortunate trend among my customers. They want to
>replace relational databases with XML. They want to replace purpose-built
>query languages with XSL. They want to replace object models and UML with
>DTDs and "XML Schemas". People are also talking about using the DOM as the
>interface to data of all sorts. This trend is very worrisome and will
>likely lead to a backlash against XML.
>
>I'm working in the opposite direction. I wonder:
>
> * Isn't OQL pretty close to an XML query language?
>
> * Aren't STEP and ODL pretty close to being XML object model schema
>languages?
>
> * Wouldn't it be nice to have more formal mechanisms for characterizing
>languages (like XQL, XPointer, URLs, JavaScript) that do NOT use
>angle-bracket syntax?
>
>Another worrisome trend is that people creating the XML standards would
>rather invent rather than learn about things that already exist.
>"NI at theW3C" syndrome?
>
> Paul Prescod  - ISOGEN Consulting Engineer speaking for only himself
> http://itrc.uwaterloo.ca/~papresco
>
>Don't you know that the smart bombs are so clever, they only kill
>bad people."
> - http://www.boingo.com/lyrics/WarAgain.html
>
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