Re: XML... Useful or another layer of complexity?

On Apr 3, 2011, at 3:31 PM, mrfroasty wrote: > On 04/03/2011 08:41 PM, Jason Pruim wrote: >> >> So the subject says it all... And yes I know this isn't related to PHP but it's >> the weekend and I trust the opinions on this list more then any other list I have seen. I've >> been doing alot of reading on XML and honestly it looks pretty cool... BUT the question is... Is it >> truly useful or is it just another layer that we have to write? >> >> From what I can tell it looks like it could stabilize some of my programming in regards to >> databases, and possibly if I have to move information from one application to another. >> >> But is it worth the added coding or should I just interact with the pieces directly? >> >> Thoughts? Questions? Flames? :) >> >> >> > Not sure about specific situations, but if I have to write my own application to application > data transfer i wouldnt add such a complexity.I would just create my own data like objects/arrays > serialized and send them over via http post or any easy means.And i will be done in few minutes, > problem solved!. > > I have once created orders in xml for myself and send over via ftp to another application.But > this was just due to a fact that I had the scripts in place to do the job.It looks much matured > though, than if I had transfer the orders in text format. > > But as I said, this depends on particular situations and problem on the table.All cases where I > worked with xml, were me receiving data from client either via soap,xml files etc.Here I have no > choice I have to work with xml ofcourse. > > P:S > **How could you stabilize your scripts by adding xml ? > I was thinking along the lines of using it as a intermediary.. Basically make a system that would take my raw data, throw it into XML, and then out to the web, database, or something else I haven't thought of.. If I was going into database I could create an abstraction layer using XML and format all the data before inserting it into specific fields... Now that I typed it I'm not sure it would work like I want it to.... But that was my thinking at the time. Although I could write a system that would generate the XML from content in a database and then parse it as an rss feed, and insert it into a calendar system... (If that was needed) Right now the question is purely academic so I'm coming up with this stuff as I'm typing hehe :)