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  • From: Damian Morris <damian@m...>
  • To: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>
  • Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2014 08:19:49 +1000

I disagree with most blanket rules, but this one especially. Anyone who’s tried to reconstruct any more than the most simple data model out of an Apple .plist format - a classic “flat” XML format - will no doubt agree (or else will surely agree to being an XPath and XSLT junkie!).

This, I think, makes more sense:

The Markup Minimalist Credo:
1. Use the minimal amount of markup necessary to effectively communicate your data.

Where the key words are 

- “effectively” - don’t make more work for anyone, sender or receiver, than you need to; and 
- “communicate” - why make it easy for the sender but ridiculously hard for the receiver? They’re both rather important parties in any communication.

Perhaps it can be better summed up this way:

The Markup Minimalist Credo:
1. Don’t blindly follow rules. Think about what you’re doing, and apply some of your experience and intelligence.

Cheers,

Damian






On 2 Nov 2014, at 12:32 am, Costello, Roger L. <costello@m...> wrote:

The Markup Minimalist Credo

 

1.       Flatter is better. Add structure (markup) to XML only when absolutely necessary.

2.       Data exchange formats: make them flat.

3.       When sending data to consumers, distribute the data in a flat format.

4.       When consumers receive the flat XML they may add structure (markup) to facilitate simpler and more efficient Schematron assertions and/or simpler and more efficient application processing. Different consumers will add different structure (markup), depending on their (local) requirements.

 

Comments?

 

/Roger




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