RFC: Attributes and XML-RPC

[Tyler Baker]

Several compression formats would in effect eliminate any significant difference between using
elements or attributes. One compression format that comes to mind is LZW, but it is too bad
that it is patented by the people "Who eat, sleep, and drink this stuff" (-:

Steven Livingstone wrote:

> > Would it not also be true that using attributes rather than elements can
> > also be more efficient in certain situations?
> >
> > In XML messaging for example, would it not be more efficient to use
> > attributes accross the wire.
> >
> > Consider
> >
> > <person>
> >     <name>Steven
> >     </name>
> >     <age>24
> >     <age>
> >     <height>1.87
> >     </height>
> >     <iq>7
> >     </iq>
> > </person>
> >
> > and an equivalent with attributes
> > <person name="Steven" age="24" height="1.87" iq="7">
> >
> >
> > The first has 79 characters and the second has 52. If we transferred 10
> > peoples information accross the wires, we would need 270 "redundant"
> > characters (2700 with 100 persons) !! 10 persons *is not* a lot of data
> for
> > the applications I often write.
> >
> > In the world of transferring data across the wire, this may be pretty
> > important, especially with the recent converstions on XML-bin (binary XML)
> > and the desire to speed up XML.
> >
> > Does <i>everyone</i> disagree?
> >
> > Cheers
> > Steven
> >
> > Steven Livingstone
> > Glasgow, Scotland.
> > +44 7771 957 280


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