Re: RFP: CompoundStorage document

[Jody Goldberg <jody gnome org>]

On Tue, Apr 16, 2002 at 02:40:46AM +1000, Martin Sevior wrote:
> 
> Ok I can see this argument but I can easily imagine an abiword compound
> document consisting of XML encoded data items with mime-type labelling
> each item. So for example an embedded gnumeric spreadhsheet is just a
> another image type with a data item that labels it as a gnumeric object
> and the actual description of the spreadsheet in ordinary gnumeric XML
> being the cone=tents of the data item. 
> 
> How do subfolders help us?

XML is quite useful in many ways but it has limitations.
1) Some types of content, specificly binary data. (think images or
   attached blobs) do not map nicely.

2) Encryption is extremely ugly.

3) It is difficult to avoid parsing uninteresting parts of a
   document given the linear nature of a SAX basd parser (don't even
   think of using DOM in the real world)