[XML-SIG] So how can _we_ use XML?

[Sean Mc grath]

[Mark Hammond]
>Howdy,
>    Im new to both this list and XML.  Ive downloaded the 0.4 release, and
>have it working.  Im pretty sure I understand the general intent of XML...
>
>I tend to learn best by example, so I would like to start using XML somehow!
>Sow how can/should Python use XML?  Where do XML documents fit with Python?
>I dont mean in an esoteric sense - I mean where does it make sense now?  Or
>at least to be working towards now?  The FAQ example in Lars Marius
>Garshol's document is obviously appealing.  Gendoc could possibly generate
>XML instead of direct to HTML?
>
XML is an open systems way of capturing the structure and content of
information. XML models "information" as a combination of a grammar
(a DTD) and instances that conform to that grammar (tagged documents).

XML is a bit like a hierarchical database management system. Any
information that "fits" a hierearchical view can benefit from
XML. Obviously, a lot of traditional "documents" qualify but so
too do things like invoices, CAD models, Web Printing Protocols,
Windows Registries :-), metadata... A lot of stuff!

A great place to look and see who is doing what with this XML
thing is www.sil.org/sgml.

As for how Python fits.. Well, for me as an aging SGML/XML
tradesman, I have never seen anything as cool as Python for
developing XML munging programs. Never. And I've seen 'em
all (I think!).

Did you see XML programming in Python in Dobbs? August of
last year I think.


Sean Mc Grath
http://www.digitome.com/sean.htm
+353 96 47391

"Imagine a world without hypothetical situations..."