RE: [PHP] PHP and XML?

> You missed the point James, I would tend to agree with the original poster > who said that files could be exchanged. Why XML? If, as a person in say > construction industry, I needed to share my data, couldnt we just come to > terms on a CVS standard? Or as Mark suggested, just a pipe delimited file? > Whats the big fuss about having data like that? > > I can also write programs to DISPLAY on a web-browser the CVS files!! > Instead of a style sheet, I'd have my program "explode" each line and then > present each element in a certain way! > > Whats the big flipping deal about XML then? > > That is true but XML has far more capabilitys that just exchanging data, how do you know that data is correct and valid (DTD). If you in the future decide that somthing else is needed then you must rewrite your software to dael with the extra field (This can all be done in the DTD).. You nice CSV file is fine until the point you need to bring in the third dynamic source (such as client) who wants part of the data and not others.. you nice server will give them the data they are allowed.. There are many reasons for usinng (and for not using) XML. It has massive flexibilty but with that comes complexity.. If I was to write an application that deals with simple purchases then maybe a csv file would be used (Well hopefully I would use a RDBMS) but a csv file might be more suited.. But imagine if the PHP manual had been written in CSV files and not XML.. When editing it or adding to it how would I know which part described which?? I wouldnt know the difference between the function prototype and the description as they would just have commas/pipes between them.. Also go have a look at the manual on php.net all of that is built from the XML source (have a look at that too (get it from cvs.php.net)) automatically (Well rasmus has to type a few commands if he hasnt cron'd it yet) but XML has its uses and that is to describe data and put that data in a form so other programs can work with it as well as making it human readable.. Now onto the linking capabilities of XML....... Not Ill stop I could go on for hundreds of pages on the uses of XML but I wont. Im rambling now.. Oh well, you get the idea James