Re: Defs format and XML

[murrayc t-online de (Murray Cumming)]

gtkmm (The C++ wrapper) is now firmly dependent on the scheme .defs file
format and the h2def.py .defs generator. I would have preferred XML from
the start, but at this point we would be unlikely to change to another
format.

On Mon, 2002-01-14 at 07:03, James Henstridge wrote:
> 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/
> 
> 
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-- 
Murray Cumming
murrayc usa net
www.murrayc.com