Re: XML DOM Binding for Ada 95 - matter of style

[Marin David Condic <nobody@noplace.com>]

Another argument against that notion is that you then have yet another 
proliferation of a different "standard". I'm looking at Trudy Levine's 
column in the most recent Ada Letters and noticing the wide 
proliferation of possible container libraries out there and I'm sure 
this is not a comprehensive list mentioning every one that is publically 
available. (Not to mention all those sitting in private libraries that 
were home grown but not distributed.) Do we really need to see yet more 
variations of a library where the fundamental purpose and functionality 
has not changed?

My opinion is this: The XML standard for document content is the only 
real compatibility one needs to maintain. The interface to access it 
ought to be treated more as a "suggestion" with what is natural for the 
language of implementation being the deciding factor. Don't be different 
just for the sake of being different - keep names of things 
similar/recognizable and provide mostly the same operations, etc. - but 
do it in a way that makes sense for Ada.

BTW: I never really liked the XMLAda approach of using discriminated 
records and thought it should have been built in a more Object Oriented 
way using tagged records. (Thus giving fuel to the C++/Java critics of 
Ada where they can observe that given an object oriented design, Ada 
apparently can't implement it in an object oriented way with 
inheritance, etc.) It would be a good thing to look to fix in any 
enhanced interface to the XML-DOM.

MDC

Stephen Leake wrote:
> 
> 
> Well, same pay for you in the short run (one thesis), but significant
> gain for both you and the community in the long run.
> 


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Marin David Condic
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