[Typo3-dev] PHP problem revived

[dan frost]

> Ok, it might make more sense in the context of TV, but for your average 
> plugin xml for flexforms is an overkill. Ah yes, what's new are the 
> tabs. This is really nice and fine. Dunno if the tabs justify the switch 
> to xml.
> 
> Enough of this provoking of me. I guess I haven't been thinking enough 
> about the matter. In fact I was jus musing while writing this post ;-)
> 

Here's my thought on XML: it's very, very verbose and rather horrid to 
edit. Also, it doesn't reflect the way we're used to dealing with data 
structures (e.g. arrays). However, it's good points are:

1. Editable in text editor - you could die() a php process, dump all the 
vars, edit them and resume; or, stick them in the database. You can't 
edit serialised stuff (easily).

2. Language independent - means it's easier to (e.g.) process a load in 
c++/perl/python/java stick it in the DB and use it in php

3. Supported well by php - means the language independence isn't an 
issue when you coime to use it. We can use XML as efficiently as we can 
use arrays

4. Standard - no need to work things out from scratch.

On DTDs/Schema: we need one. The GnuCash project uses XML (or postgres) 
to store financial data and the developers are "not interested" in 
making a DTD (i think this is true). This is silly: a good DTD makes 
using other XML tools easier.

You could build the TCA in an XML editor by simply feeding in the DTD - 
no need to build or change complex editors. (See for example Sun's 
Studio1/Forte (community edition)) - even auto-builds a Java Parser!

I *do* agree that xml could be over kill *some times*  - and I am only 
just being won over by it.

I think we should consider it very seriously because LOTS of the data 
manipulation done in Typo3 (finding things, sorting things, getting 
things from arrays, putting things in arrays, splitting things) is well 
supported in existing XML tools.

Perhaps this is time for a proof of concept... (give me 3 months!)

dan