[XML-SIG] XML/python approach to "smooshing docs together"?

[Thomas B. Passin]

Will Partain asks -

>
> How might you define, precisely, such a "smooshing
together"
> system?
>
> * How do you "line up" the transparencies so you can look
at
>   them?
>
> * Say you have 10 transparencies... in what order do you
do
>   the pair-wise "smooshing"?
>

 Don't think about layers "winning".  Use XML to tell you
what each layer really is.  In your example, wrap each of
the three "layers" in its own wrapper:

<site-admin>
<host-specific>
    <host>
    <name>slicker</name>
    <ip-address>221.170.160.25</ip-address>
    </host>

   <host><!-- More hosts listed here --></host>
</host-specific>

<site-common>
    <filesystem>
      <mount-point>/</mount-point>
      <size>84MB</size>
    </filesystem>
    <filesystem>
      <mount-point>/usr/local</mount-point>
      <size>128MB</size>
    </filesystem>
</site-common>

<platform-common>
    <platform type='Sun'>
    <programs>
      <pgm name="DIFF" path="/usr/bin/diff" />
      <pgm name="MAKE" path="/usr/ccs/bin/make" />
    </programs>
    </platform>
<platform-specific>
</site-admin>

This do what you want?  The other issues sound non-xml-ish.
E.g.,

> * Say you have 10 transparencies... in what order do you
do
>   the pair-wise "smooshing"?
>

Depends on what you want to do it for ... sounds like a user
interface issue (that makes it the hardest kind!).

Cheers,

Tom Passin