Joe-
This is an interesting observation. You are saying that the techniques
for XML validation could be applied to other things with a hierarchical
format. (In Kent's ROSE system defined in data and reality this is
linked to "executables"). So, one could in effect say that "schemas"
apply to some part of an information network to enforce a certain
format.
Difficulties (not necessarily objections) I have with implementing this
approach are:
* XML is mainly designed (and planned) for hierarchical data. While you
can do non-hierachical data (webs) by various abstractions, it seems to
me from a limited understanding that XML techniques (XSLT) isn't
necessarily designed to do this better than regular coding. (Anyone,
feel free to point to good examples of XML use for webs...)
* DTDs and Schemas are useful, but I believe they may not express all
the possible ways of organizing even hierarchical data. I think there
are (with DTDs at least) some specific issues with artificial limits of
what type of repetitive groups one can have in what area of an XML
document. Contrast this with for example encoding XML data as Lisp
S-expressions and instead of DTDs or Schemas providing Lisp programs to
do validation on the expressions. That would be a fully general
solution. However, a Schema is easier perhaps for a general editor to
interact with for giving proper editing advice than an ad-hoc Lisp
program. (Of course, the Lisp programs might be written mainly in a
standard form -- approaching something like the XML Schema format but
with extensions.)
* (Deeper) XML (and for example RDF) makes it difficult (or impossible)
to reference links within a documents. (Yes, there are XPointers, etc.
but I am not yet convinced of their generality for what I mean). By
contrast, by design, everything in the Pointrel Data Repository System
is intended to be linkable. That is -- any relation itself can be linked
to and in effect commented on. This is a completely extensible system.
With an XML Schema or DTD it would not be clear how these commentary
links would be effected or limited. One might be able to work around
this by enforcing a DTD or Schema only on certain links which were
linked into a specific validation space (by other links). So, your
suggestion is inspiring some more thought on this...
In any event, I like your suggestion. Just trying to think through what
it means or how to make it implementable. I've been thinking some myself
lately on how to use some XML concepts in relation to the Pointrel
system (not validation though -- just mainly import/export), based on
issues of technology and familiarity. If there was an XML interface to
some parts of the Pointrel system then it would provide a well
understood API for many common operations and an on-ramp for people who
understood that technology (as you outline). Your suggestion paints a
bigger picture for meaningful integration.
I'm always torn on this issue. On the one hand, I don't want to impose
any specific "eternal" validation limits to a set of relations. On the
other hand, unless the relations are structured in some way relative to
code intended to search or otherwise process them, the information will
be difficult or impossible to use.
-Paul Fernhout
Kurtz-Fernhout Software
=========================================================
Developers of custom software and educational simulations
Creators of the Garden with Insight(TM) garden simulator
http://www.kurtz-fernhout.com
altintdev@webtv.net wrote:
>
> Hi Paul,
> The best idea is to validate a single file or the entire structure in
> real time or just whenever you want or need to against an appropriate
> schema using an available open validating parser. If the information is
> canonical XML and the schema accurately describes what the structure and
> data types should be, then it is suddenly a lot easier.
> Scripting solutions, either experimental, temporary, or 'permanent' also
> becomes a lot more fun if you can use an interface to the information as
> expressed by the XML DOM and its relations.
>
> Best Regards,
> Joe
>
> "Proprietary solutions commit the business to a legacy system."
> FC, HP
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