Re: Howto read line from a stream

["Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de>]

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:09:40 +0200, Georg Bauhaus wrote:

> Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote:
> 
>> Why should I convert anything?
> 
> To get data from outside input, reshaped as needed.
> (STEP 3)

I don't see how getting data is related to conversion of. (Unless you would
claim that XML does some physical measurements...) 

>> Who does write it?
> 
> Admins, operators, ...  They use their preferred, but customized
> to your grammar, XML editor that (a) lets them write consistent
> configurations and no others and (b) uses XML behind the
> scenes only.   (Much better than information nicely
> scattered in some Excel sheet.  Better than some
> proprietary system dependent GUI for config making
> as these seem to have a limited life time built in.)
> (STEP 1)

Do you plan an admin position for your ball-point pen? You must be a very
wealthy man...

The point is, either the configuration is trivial and you don't need any,
or else it is non-trivial and then a representation of it as a tree does
not work.

XML is rooted in dark ages of computing, from the times when people didn't
really understand that there is no data. Because data without behavior is
noise. You cannot handle complexity merely by providing tree, or for that
matter relational views (another end of the "axis of evil" is RDBs). It
does not add any value.

>> Who does read it?
> 
> The middleware.  Your middleware program will process
> the XML data produced by outsiders during STEP 1 above.
> Wouldn't this processing step resemble an integration
> build with regard to the state of compilation
> units (XML documents) where a compiler (validating XML parser)
> has seen the units?
> (STEP 2)

My middleware binds publishers and subscribers without XML.

> STEP 4:
> You have valid data ready for consumption as is...
> 
> Otherwise, there is a problem with input sent to you,
> and caused by something outside your responsibility.

If input is connected, it cannot be outside my responsibility. Remember the
discussion about preconditions and contracts? In a running program there is
no such case as "outside someone's responsibility", otherwise it is a bug.

-- 
Regards,
Dmitry A. Kazakov
http://www.dmitry-kazakov.de