[thelist] The Future of Browser-Bound XML?

[Tom Dell'Aringa]

I think if we go way back to the original question, about xml data
being presented in the browser - it leads me to say that XML wasn't
necesarrily designed for that.

XML is not "another" HTML. As you know, if anything HTML falls under
XML. Keeping in mind that the Internet is supposed to be accessible
to all, you don't want to force any average joe who wants to put up a
web page to learn XML/XSLT and CSS. HTML probably will always be the
markup under your average page (for the foreseeable future).

And I also think, that as great as XHTML can be, that it is also
overblown. XHTML has its detractors as well, but maybe thats another
thread.

I think the whole issue boils down to the separation of structure and
presentation. XML is structure. If you want to use XSLT to present
it, go ahead. If you want to use CSS, go ahead. Hey - in some
instances if the XML is being handled right, you don't need either -
maybe its just dumped into plain TDs.

It seems to me that this is the direction the steering commitees of
note want to go, because this separation allows for all kinds of
things we want to do. Like any-to-any communication between systems
(To coin a Scient term).

When HTML gets back to its structure roots and away from being used
for presentation and CSS evolves more, you will have this true
separation - and you will see XML be on the structure side, of
course.

That's my .02 on the whole deal - so to simply answer - people today
are using XML all over the place whether you know it or not, and they
are styling it with XSLT, CSS and more. Just research how you want to
do it and go nuts.

Tom
--- Hassan Schroeder <hassan at webtuitive.com> wrote:
> Michael Mell wrote:
>
> > The point remains that one can not send valid arbitrary xml with
> a style sheet
> > and get a useful rendering on a standard browser today.
>
> Eh? Try this trivial example in Mozilla ... paste into two files
>
> - dogs.xml
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
> <?xml-stylesheet href="dogs.css" type="text/css" title="dogs"?>
> <Family>Dogs
> 	<Group>Terriers
> 		<Breed>Westie</Breed>
> 		<Breed>Scottie</Breed>
> 		<Breed>Cairn</Breed>
> 	</Group>
> 	<Group>Hounds
> 		<Breed>Beagle</Breed>
> 		<Breed>Basset Hound</Breed>
> 		<Breed>Blood Hound</Breed>
> 	</Group>
> </Family>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> - dogs.css
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Family {
> 	margin-left: 10%;
> 	}
> Group {
> 	margin-left: 2em;
> 	}
> Family, Group {
> 	display: block;
> 	color: #000000;
> 	font-weight: bold;
> 	}
> Breed {
> 	display: list-item;
> 	list-style-type: square;
> 	color: #006600;
> 	margin-left: 2em;
> 	}
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I get a lot of raw sample data for prototyping in XML format, and a
> lot of it stays that way :-)
>
> The above example can also be melded into an XHTML page and all the
> markup still works just fine though it doesn't match any actual DTD
> ...
>
> --
> H*
> Hassan Schroeder -----------------------------
> hassan at webtuitive.com
> Webtuitive Design ===  (+1) 408-938-0567   ===
> http://webtuitive.com
>
>     -- creating dynamic Web sites and applications since 1994 --
> --
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=====
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