XOM API for Processing XML with Java

[Elliotte Harold <elharo AT metalab.unc.edu>]

Michael Kay wrote:
> Elliotte, every time someone asks for facilities to do namespace prefix
> lookups you ask them why they need it. What can't you just accept that they
> do? From here, it's like watching a steady stream of customer going to a
> corner shop asking for matches and being told that they don't stock them
> because there's no demand...

This is a different request than what I've had in the past. There may be 
a use case here. If there is one, it's not obvious to me and I don't 
think I can properly address it without understanding the need.

However if I do make the lookup method in XPathContext public I don't 
think this would address any of the outstanding requests.
I suspect what you're thinking of is not  namespace prefix lookup, which 
XOM fully supports (just not from XPathContext, at least not yet). It's 
the enumeration of namespaces in scope on an element.

There are two general reasons I am resistant to adding methods without 
clear and articulated use cases:

1. It explodes the API, making it harder to document, learn, maintain, 
and understand.

2. Often than not there's a better way to do what the requester wants. 
Simply adding requested methods without understanding why the user wants 
them, risks adding pointless methods and providing a less than optimal 
solution.

--
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo AT metalab.unc.edu
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