XML size (was: no subject)

[Derek Atkins]

Paul Lussier <plussier@mindspring.com> writes:

> Has no one else here read The UNIX Philosophy?  Keep it simle, and 
> keep it text.  If you need it to load faster, buy a faster CPU, 
> they're cheap now-a-days :)

I agree that CONFIGURATION files should be kept text.  But why data
files?  Data files are application-specific, so why should you be
restricted to ascii data files, especially when the data is not
necessary human-readable in the first place?

The point of moving away from XML (IMHO) is _not_ just to load faster.
Also note that the load speed is NOT just a factor of CPU, but a
factor of the XML implementation and overhead of processing.  It also
takes a heck of a lot of core.

So, while speed is ONE goal, it is not all of it.  By using a database
you also:
        a) obviate the need to transaction log file
        b) obviate the need for "backup" files
        c) load faster
        d) save faster
        e) reduce the amount of core RAM required by the application
        f) have all the code necessary to move to SQL server

Note that I'm saying nothing about configuration files.  I still
believe that all confguration files should remain in human-readable
(and human _EDITABLE_) text.

However, configuration != data.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
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