XML's Technical Merits and Unfair Obsolescence in Modern Software Engineering
By
Curiositry
Toasted golden, schmeared with insight. Top of the rack.
Summary
The article argues that XML (Extensible Markup Language) has been unfairly dismissed as obsolete in modern software engineering, despite its continued relevance and technical superiority for certain use cases. The author contends that XML's decline wasn't due to technical inadequacy but rather JavaScript's dominance in web development and the industry's preference for JSON. The piece explores XML's strengths in data validation, schema definition, and complex document structures, suggesting that developers have forgotten its capabilities while embracing JSON's simplicity. The article serves as a defense of XML's technical merits and a critique of the software industry's tendency to discard technologies based on trends rather than objective evaluation.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledXML was not abandoned because it was inadequate; it was abandoned because JavaScript won. The browser won.
There exists a peculiar amnesia in software engineering regarding XML. Mention it in most circles and you will receive knowing smiles, dismissive waves, the sort of patronizing acknowledgment reserved for technologies deemed passé.
This is nonsense.
We use JSON now. Much cleaner.
The browser won. And in that victory, we collectively agreed to pretend that a format designed for human readability in a REP
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