Re: Data table text I/O package?

[Georg Bauhaus <bauhaus@futureapps.de>]

Marius Amado Alves wrote:

> For tables of atomic data tab separated is better.

Note the crucial bits in this general statement.

1) You had really better have *atomic* data.

2) You had better have the format as your own format and
 no data exchange with any system requiring "just
 your table files, please".

Tab separated atomic data can be "semi-structured"
too. Consider 04/06/05 and tell me wich calender date that
is, in [choose country here].

It makes litte sense to say XML = semi, TAB = atomic without
specifying what exactly you mean by semi-structure data.
Consider

 <Date y="2005" m="June" d="04"/>

If a program maintains a table of calender dates
for internal use, then 2005-06-04, or 2005 TAB 06 TAB 04
save space and is easy to use. But it also restricts
the table to an internal data format.

Choice of TabSV depends on the requirements, doesn't it?
In particular on how many different programs will use the
data, who is going to "read" them in which ways, special
purpose or not, are there industry standards, etc..

I wonder whether Ada programmers will like a data format like
 
 Date'(y => 2005, m => -"June", d => 04)

and still keep saying that it must have scientifically proven
readability advantages, and that XML is verbose. And before
you answer, think of the word "habit".


Georg