XOM API for Processing XML with Java

[dirk bergstrom <dirk AT juniper.net>]

On 02/02/2004 11:14 AM, jcowan AT reutershealth.com was heard to exclaim:
> 2) Consider flushing the no-namespace constructors: they save only 3 
> characters
>    (plus optional whitespace) over the corresponding namespace constructors.
>    Trying to let people use a namespaceless subset of XOM really doesn't 
> save
>    much mental space, I don't think; DOM has these things because Level 1
>    predates namespaces.
> 1) Remove no-namespace constructor: see Attribute for rationale.
> 3) Remove no-namespace versions of getAttribute, getAttributeValue,
>    getChildElements, getFirstChildElement; see Attribute for rationale.

Perhaps I'm exposing some gross and defiguring ignorance here, but I think
this is a bad idea.

I don't use namespaces in my work, and I would deeply resent having to go
through all of my xml code and add what amounts to a null parameter to each
XOM call.  Forcing people to add a namespace *requires* a lot of mental space.

If you can convince me that I *need* namespaces (in code that's worked for a
year without them), then I'd be willing to consider this proposal.
Otherwise, I think it would make XOM less usable, and harder to learn.

-- 
Dirk Bergstrom               dirk AT juniper.net
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