XML Schema and XML Script

XML Schema and XML Script

[Robert C. Leif, Ph.D.]

From: Bob Leif
W3C has just released XML Schema. Schemas are a replacement for Document
Type Definitions, DTDs. Schemas are written in XML and therefore are
readable. The schemas presently are an elegant, verbose method to declare
data types. The architects of the next upgrade to the Ada standard should
both enjoy and benefit from seeing an approach that is a parallel evolution
to Ada. Reading the XML Schema Primer gives me the impression that at least
one of the authors had knowledge of Ada 95. If anyone determines the
accuracy of my hunch, please let me know.

http://www.w3.org/
"XML Schema Becomes Candidate Recommendation
24 October 2000: W3C is pleased to announce advancement of the XML Schema
language to Candidate Recommendation status. Read the Press Release and
Testimonials. The specification is written in three parts:"

"XML Schema Part 0: Primer is an introduction with examples."
http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/CR-xmlschema-0-20001024/

"XML Schema Part 1: Structures specifies the XML Schema definition language,
which offers facilities for describing the structure and constraining the
contents of XML 1.0 documents."
http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/CR-xmlschema-1-20001024/

"XML Schema Part 2: Data types specifies a robust, extensible system of data
categories for XML."
http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/CR-xmlschema-2-20001024/

The primer is well written. A quick look at the data type indicates a very
professional job.

"I believe that there may be a new contender in the language field.
Fortunately it is NOT based on C syntax. XML Script works with XML."
http://www.xmlscript.org/

XMLscript.org
"XMLscript.org is a resource for XML Script, used for manipulating XML
data."

"Writing XML Script is the best way to create, read or convert XML data. XML
Script is an XML-compliant scripting language that has been developed to
handle XML with a minimum of overhead."

XML Script should have one great advantage over both Ada and the C family,
there is a very large user base of HTML. My obviously biased opinion is the
design of XML Script would greatly benefit from the knowledge and experience
of the Ada community.

Both HTML and XML demonstrate that verbosity has little if any negative
impact on the market for at least one type of software language. Ada type
and object specifications are very compact compared to XML Schema.

Please excuse this cross-listing. I do not have any quantitative data on the
overlap of subscribers to Comp. Lang. Ada (Ada programming Language) and
Team-Ada.

Re: XML Schema and XML Script

[Florian Weimer]

"Robert C. Leif, Ph.D." <rleif@rleif.com> writes:

> "I believe that there may be a new contender in the language field.
> Fortunately it is NOT based on C syntax. XML Script works with XML."
> http://www.xmlscript.org/

Hmm, the syntax does borrow a few elements from C nevertheless.
Unfortunately, the existing documentation of XMLScript does not
contain a language definition, so it's hard to tell what we are in
fact talking about.