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pcplantdb - Re: [pcplantdb] DTD 0.001

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  • From: John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net>
  • To: Permaculture Plant Database <pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [pcplantdb] DTD 0.001
  • Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 21:22:22 +0000

Aloha,

> Also I think
we need a lot of markup for the various atomic data elements like
height, hardiness, etc, which you touch on with physical and growing
conditions.

Agreed.

A lot of the rest of the existing data (the text blobs) I would like
to move to a more universal context such as that of a comment. These
include cultural notes, propagation notes, know hazards, edible uses,
medicinal uses, and other uses. These could be as individual comments
or grouped together as a single comment by Ken Fern. This is a point
that needs additional discussion.

How accessible is this info going to be if it's all lumped into a 'more universal context' such as a comment?
What do you mean, in DB and search/retrieve terms, by a comment?

I also want to check in about the time frame of moving to a fully
XML'ized version. This represents a significant amount of work that
does benefit the development of additional clients but not much else.

I think it would benefit the development of all clients, including our initial one, and the project as a whole, by:
1) supporting data/logic/presentation separation early on
2) working the kinks out of XMLizing data early on
3) creating and refining an appropriate DTD early on
4) exposing any "gotchas" and/or mistaken assumptions about XMLizing whatever you're creating now later on, before they might be a real PITA to deal with.

Mind you I'm no fan of the big overhead of XML for data transport, and, if we're going to do it let's just do it.

I'm a little dubious of the value of 'shortcuts' that are specific to our perceived immediate needs. Will they be of any value to anyone else? Will they support alternative clients as fully as XML and/or XML-RPC, assuming someone chooses to code their client to use the 'shortcuts'?

My $.02 on that...

John S.

--

John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
------------------------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Whole Systems Design Services
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net




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