> just wondering.... but isn't wddx a form of XML? couldn't
> you use an XML parser to parse WDDX packets? if this is true,
> then why don't they just have a wddx packet.
While I haven't looked at the MM news feed, and so can't comment on the data
structure, I can think of some good reasons why they might have chosen not
to use WDDX.
You're right that a WDDX packet is simply an XML document. However, WDDX is
kind of a "last resort" when it comes to using XML. WDDX doesn't describe
the contents of the data in any meaningful way, since it's a language that
simply describes generic data objects: queries, arrays, structures, simple
values. Typically, when you use XML, and you have a choice about how to
describe that data, you use a specific XML language which better describes
your specific data set. For example, from a general use perspective, it's a
lot more useful to have something like this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<library>
<book title="JavaScript: The Definitive Guide">
<author>
<lastname>Flanagan</lastname>
<firstname>David</firstname>
</author>
<publisher>O'Reilly</publisher>
<content><![CDATA[ ... lots of stuff here, that you'd have
to escape if you were using WDDX ... ]]></content>
</book>
...
</library>
If you simply described this as a recordset, you wouldn't be providing
nearly as good a way to work with the data - if you wanted to take that data
and use XSLT to transform it for output, for example, you'd find WDDX to be
pretty frustrating, perhaps.
It's worth remembering the impetus behind WDDX in the first place.
Essentially, as I understand it, its purpose was to act as a stopgap,
allowing us to use XML to exchange data without having to worry about DTDs
or schemas, without having to have common XML languages. Now that those
hurdles have been overcome, generally, the usefulness of WDDX isn't quite as
high as it once was, by comparison.
Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software
http://www.figleaf.com/
voice: (202) 797-5496
fax: (202) 797-5444
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