[Openstreetmap] Re: [Openstreetmap-dev] OSM's Schema - moving it forwards.

[Lars Aronsson]

Tom Carden wrote:

> Nah, the main advantage of XML is that everyone says "oh, OK", 
> but if you didn't use it they'd be saying "why aren't we using 
> XML"?

Let's remember what the alternatives are. If a simple text file or 
CSV (comma separated values) is enough, that is good.  For more 
complex data structures, if the alternative is to invent something 
like the TIFF file format or the ISO 2709 used by libraries to 
transfer bibliographic records, then XML is an enormous advantage.  
For these old formats, you would either be restricted to use some 
vendor's proprietary subroutine library (only available in Turbo 
Pascal) or (if you're lucky) you could buy the format spec for 48 
CHF from ISO.  Not to talk about all semi-proprietary 
communication protocols we had before everything became TCP/IP.

I think the current shift towards XML + Unicode is as important as 
the shift towards ASCII in the 1960s.  According to Wikipedia, 
ASCII was first launched in 1963.  And lower case letters were 
added in the 1967 edition of the standard.  XML 1.0 is from 1998.

Of course there are tons of misconceptions and hype.  A company I 
worked for some years ago asked me if we "couldn't add some XML to 
this project?" because their investors thought that would look 
nice in the prospect.


-- 
  Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
  Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se