Re: Data table text I/O package?

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"Jacob Sparre Andersen" <sparre@nbi.dk> wrote in message
news:m2hdfzek8i.fsf@hugin.crs4.it...
> Preben Randhol wrote:
> > Jacob Sparre Andersen <sparre@nbi.dk> wrote on 15/06/2005 (13:38) :
>
> > > The important part is to have the checking of the headers and the
> > > generation of Put_Line and Get_Line procedures automated based on
> > > a record type (and not too much more).  Since I need records (for
> > > type checking) and not just simple arrays, I can't manage with a
> > > generic package, but have to put some code generation into the
> > > system (or can I play some tricks with streams?).
> >
> > So the header might be:
> >
> > Integer   Float   Text
>
> Not quite.  The headers would be field names, not just types.  I.e.:
>
> Gene ID p-value Expression-level        Description     Human cromosome
> GE29031 0.04539 245.45  Cyclin-B1       17

I may be dense, but isn't this the purpose of XML? If so, why reinvent the
wheel?

(I personally think XML is way overused, more because it *can* be used than
that it is worthwhile for the application. But this seems to be exactly the
application that it was designed for. You'll end up with something like XML
eventually anyway, why not start with it?)

                           Randy.