ANN: SLiP and SLIDE - a quick XML shorthand syntax and tool for editing

April 3, 2002

      Announcing...

SLiP 0.1: a "Sorta Like Python" shorthand syntax for XML
SLIDE 0.1: a "Sorta Like an IDE" lightweight windows exe for SLiP editing
SLiPpy 0.1: a SLiP package for Python, including a SLiP->XML library
(sliplib.py) and source for SLIDE (slide.py)

	http://www.scottsweeney.com/projects/slip

[Description]

	SLiP is a quick, alternative shorthand syntax for creating and editing XML
data by hand and if you know Python, it should also be familiar.  Great for
taking notes.

[Benefits]

	* Less typing - provides a quicker and easier means for creating or editing
XML

	* Easier to read - creates a pleasant layout for the data with indentation
and spacing

	* Benefits of XML - allow for hierarchical data, unlike tabbed or other
character delimited data files

	* Cheap - provides a free XML editing alternative

	* Editor-agnostic and Keyboard-oriented - provide a quicker, more
hacker-friendly way to create XML over point-and-click alternatives

	* Works in existing editors - most Python editors (IDLE, Scintilla, etc)
should accept and make working with this syntax easy

[Example]

This portion of SLiP:

	my:addresses(xmlns:my="http://example.org/my"):

		#some random comment

		address(type="home"):

			street(): "123 Sesame Street"
			city(): "Wonderland"
			state(): "CA"
			zipCode(): "90012"
			comment():

				"""
				Please leave packages with Grouch
		 		in garbage can next door.

				"""

.. would convert to this XML:

	<my:addresses xmlns:my="http://example.org/my">
		<!-- random comment -->
		<address type="home">
			<street>123 Sesame Street</street>
			<city>Wonderland</city>
			<state>CA</state>
			<zipCode>90012</zipCode>
			<comment>

			Please leave packages with Grouch
			in garbage can next door.

			</comment>
		</address>
	</my:addresses>

I've created some free (MIT license) tools including a Python library for
translating between XML and SLiP (SLiPpy), a lightweight editor wrapper
(SLIDE), and some brief documentation - all available at the website,
http://www.scottsweeney.com/projects/slip

This is my first release of these tools so they are a little rough and they
need more input, so let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Scott Sweeney

[Contact]
  ssweeney@idiosync.net

<P><A HREF="http://www.scottsweeney.com/projects/slip">SLiP</a> - a
"Sorta Like Python" shorthand for XML (3-Apr-2002).