Defs format and XML

[James Henstridge <james daa com au>]

Hi Mike,

I was reading your message about switching from the s-expression defs 
format to an XML format:
 
http://lists.ximian.com/archives/public/gtk-sharp-list/2002-January/000021.html

It brought up a few questions:

You say that an XML format was easier to use.  This is likely to be true 
for any language where XML parsers are readily available (or come 
standard), but s-expression parsers are not.  This probably covers 
almost every language available today (except scheme/lisp which have 
s-expression parsers built in :).

One of the aims of the defs format is to be able to share as much stuff 
between the various binding projects as possible.  If the use of 
s-expressions is making it more difficult for defs files to be used, 
then we should ask whether that choice was correct.  On IRC Andrei also 
said that use of an XML format would have made his life easier.

It would be fairly easy to map the existing defs format to XML, and the 
changes in my python code generator would be fairly localised (I already 
went through the process once in the going from Havoc's version 2 format 
to the current one).  I can't speak for other developers though (Ariel?, 
Murray?).

You also said that the current defs format was missing some features 
needed for the GTK# binding.  Was there any particular features you are 
looking for?  If the problems can be identified, then hopefully we can 
integrate the ideas into the defs spec.

Please don't misinterpret this as a stake burning :)  I would just like 
to see all LBs using the same formats/code where appropriate.

James.

--
Email: james daa com au
WWW:   http://www.daa.com.au/~james/