Re: Are PIs useful?

> 
> Why wouldn't PIs be useful for the same reasons in XML that they are in SGML?
> Is it unreasonable to think that maybe someday someone will use them to define
> an application profile of XML in the same way that we have defined one of 
> SGML?
> 
>  Paul Prescod
> 

Because processing instructions are "single use" I consider them to be a
hack.  I don't find them useful in SGML.  IMHO, the use of processing 
instructions in XML to convey encodings and other information is rather
borderline but I understand why they are used for that purpose.

There are usually more uniform and scalable ways to do what one might want
to do with processing instructions.

...now, all of you that are using processing instructions, don't get me wrong.
There are good arguments for their use and inclusion in XML, but, again, in my
opinion, I feel that the arguments against them are much stronger.

==============================================================================
R. Alexander Milowski     http://www.copsol.com/   alex@copsol.com
Copernican Solutions Incorporated                  (612) 379 - 3608

Received on Tuesday, 13 May 1997 16:42:55 UTC