RE: [xml] XML regression test cases...

["Jain, Nilesh" <nilesh jain intel com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel Veillard [mailto:veillard redhat com]
>  Being novice about XML is fine, as long as you can understand the
rules
> of
> the game in that area.
> You seems to be missing somewhat how complex the set of specs related
> to XML that libxml2 implements. sometime bugfixes implies changes of
> behaviour
> because the behaviour is wrong accordingly to the associated XML specs,
> and not fixing the behaviour to follow the spec would be a totally
wrong
> approach, because the stability of the underlying specs is way greater
> than the one of any software based on libxml2. So fixing behaviour to
> follow
> the specs is the right approach to long-term maintainance, and to
preserve
> the interoperability.
>
>  In a nutshell
>    interoperability at the XML level is more important than
> interoperability
>    between libxml2 releases.
>
> This doesn't mean that APIs or ABI get broken, actually you can poll
all
> the linux vendors around and Sun Microsystems if you want, I'm pretty
sure
> they will tell you that libxml2 is a stable piece of code for them. It
> grows,
> it improves but applications don't break because of it.
> It certainly is the case for Red Hat !

I completely understand the point you have mentioned, but same time my
real concern is for application/users of libxml2... because if
application is depends or based on certain behavior of library, which
changes release over release [I understand potential reasons for change]
then how application deals with that.. do they change the application...
or applications are usually transparent from these changes. 

I guess my real question here is to understand the impact of behavior
changes release over release on applications, and how they deal with
that? Or is it certain section/module of library which can vary
depending on the underling specification interpretation change, which is
really transparent to application... 

I am here not questioning the changes but same time trying to understand
the impact on application, which LSB cares most... I am putting this
question here as you have more visibility of usage and impact of these
changes...  

Thanks,
Nilesh