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From: Jacob Sparre Andersen <sparre@nbi.dk>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Data table text I/O package?
Date: 16 Jun 2005 11:55:39 +0200
Organization: hacking.dk - Doing fun stuff with open source
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Date: 2005-06-16T11:55:39+02:00
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Randy Brukardt wrote:

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

The purpose of XML is to be _the_ universal file format.

 a) I don't want a universal file format.

 b) I don't believe in a universal file format.

 c) XML is (almost) less readable than a binary file my purposes.

 d) I'm _not_ going to switch away from tabulator separated tables for
    purposes, where tabulator separated tables are a sensible
    representation of the data in textual form.

> (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?)

I'm afraid you completely misunderstood my problem.  It is not a
matter of a selecting a file format.  It is the matter of
automagically generating code for reading and writing that file
format.

Jacob
-- 
"I am an old man now, and when I die and go to Heaven there are two matters
 on which I hope enlightenment. One is quantum electro-dynamics and the
 other is turbulence of fluids. About the former, I am rather optimistic."
 Sir Horace Lamb.