Re: xml and s-expression

anamax@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

I came across this web page titled "xml is not s-expression"
http://www.prescod.net/xml/sexprs.html

The author of that page doesn't seem to know the difference
between strings and text. The author also seems to think that
Lisp's ability to manipulate code in the language implies that
lLisp code and data can't be separate, but they can be. (All
lisp code is lisp data, but some Lisp data is not Lisp code.)

Since his conclusions follow from such errors, none are sound.

Which reminds me, the "Principle of Least Power" is blather
(and the reference is a circular argument). XML/SGML/HTML
are good data formats because they contain/describe their
structure, not because they can't be evaluated. S-expressions
have that property as well, and the advantage that some
s-expressions can be interpreted as code (or not - depends
on what you want to do).

One of these days, I expect someone in the XML community
to notice that packaging some code with data can be quite useful.
If we're really lucky, they'll pick something like Forth bytecodes.
(That's not a criticism of Forth.)


"Place one fresh egg above an empty plate. Break the egg. Pour content
onto the plate. Throw away the shell. Put the plate in microwave. Turn
knob. Wait 62 seconds. Get plate. Eat egg."

Is this a string? Is this data or code?

The point is that even for the deadest coldest data, you can always
invent some interpreter to make it become alive code.

--
__Pascal Bourguignon__ http://www.informatimago.com/
The mighty hunter
Returns with gifts of plump birds,
Your foot just squashed one.
.

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