Re: Sample Question

David G. Durand wrote:
> 
> >Yep.  Now, what is the short sweet clear language that tells
> >the executive why he must require his programmers or IS specialists
> >to switch to this when what they have looks a lot like this
> >and is working?  What do we say when he says, "But my browser
> >vendor says this is 'stupid', slows down the system, and they
> >will never support it"?  How do we convince him that it is
> >worth the extra money and considerable risk to move off of
> >working platforms onto other platforms just to get closed
> >tags, obscure syntax, and fatter files?
> 
> I think we don't have to. See below.

That's good. It is also exactly what I was told when 
I first showed the HTML\WWW design to HyTime folks.

> >Not kidding. That example above goes to the heart of what XML does and
> >can bring to the party, and the mood of the host.

> You are certainly right about the mood, but there is also a lot of
> frustration with fixed tag sets, and there is fortunately alternative markup
> that is nicer and easier to explain:
> 
>  <P>Your IP address is <SERVER>write(request.ip)</SERVER>
>  <SERVER>write("&lt;p>Last time your were " + client.oldname + ".")</SERVER>

Ok. Two solutions.

They aren't frustrated.  They are extending them as fast as they 
can based on the technology they have established and the 
market base they have.

> Sorry I missed the syntax error the first time I read it... I agree that
> this is a bit inconvenient, but I think people will be willing to put up
> with this to avoid entrapment in the straightjacket of HTML.

They aren't in a straitjacket.  They are putting others in a
straitjacket.
That's the point.

> All you need to say is that < is a delimiter and needs escaping whenever it
> does not start a tag.

It will be fun to watch someone explain to an executive with a masters
in 
business and a company to run what "escaping a delimiter means".  He 
needs a reason before he bets the farm on a technology harder to use 
and more expensive than the one we ask him to "escape".
 
> I don't know why (or if) Eliot prefers CDATA.

It was the first thing that occurred to me too.

Anyway, if this is to be carried to CTS, time to do it.
I was hoping to post a few counter examples here first for 
comment before setting off too many firestorms over there.
On the other hand, maybe it is better to light a fire 
where light is wanted.

len

Received on Thursday, 30 January 1997 17:36:24 UTC