TomSoft

XMLSucks? .. Maybe

April 10th, 2006

I am using
XML since several years, and I’ve wondered several time why this is a so
complex description language. For me, the biggest issue with XML is that it
fails in an area where it should be perfect: being human readable. Reading a
complex XML document is a nightmare, writing/modifying XML based configurations
files also, and even with some tools, its seems just a complex way to do simple
things.
I was thinking that I may have some “personals” issues, with XML, but
it seems that I am not alone, and this site proofs this: http://xmlsucks.org/
(but you have to use it anyway), contains what I think is a very good
presentation of PRO and CON of XML. It’s a 2002 document, but still valid in
think, especially with the conclusion:

• XML does suck technologically, but:

• the technological problems can be managed
• the political and commercial advantages of working with the same open
  standard as everyone are enormous

• XML is here to stay…

And there is no dubt that due to the interoperability, there are a lot of advantages of using XML, it’s just that it could have been done even better….

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