Peter Keane wrote:
On Sun, 27 Jan 2008, James Holderness wrote:
The question is why? I don't see much benefit in using Atom over some
proprietary form of XML (but plenty of disadvantages) unless you
specifically intend the data to be readable in a typical, blog-reading,
Atom client as well.
Having built a heavily-used (here at UT Austin) CMS/DAM with Atom as the
standard internal XML format, I have found all kinds of benefits (many of
which I could've predicted, some I couldn't):
-tool/library support
-feed validator that allows me to sanity-check all sorts of internal
operations
-"introspecting" internal application processes w/ nothing more than
Firefox
It seems to me you'd get the same kind of benefits from plain old XML.
-ability to "subscribe" to internal processes (including highly
configurable search results) with a news reader/live bookmarks, etc.
-sereniditous re-use opportunities (e.g. "let's make a podcast of this
search...")
Knowing what you know now, would you list these as reasons for choosing Atom
in a future project along the same line? If so, you're designing a system
that you specifically intend to be readable in a typical, blog-reading, Atom
client - and I've already said that may be a good reason to choose Atom.
The fact that you may not have predicted these benefits in your last project
is no reason to choose Atom blindly for future projects, hoping that you
might just get some other unpredicted benefits. Atom isn't magic.
It worked well on your current system for specific reasons. That doesn't
necessarily make it a good envelope format for any kind of exchange. If
you're going to use it, know why you're using it.
Regards
James
