comment: XML as ASCII data format

[Tanya Maria Riseman]

If you have to use tools to use XML in a reasonable manner,
 I don't think that it is worth the effort. Chose either HDF or XML for
 both raw data and treated/reduced data so the users only have
 one set/style of tools that they absolutely must learn. 
 Most users will enjoy XML for looking on facility web pages but for
 specialized analysis they will use simple tools they understand
 (Fortran, Origin, Matlab, Octave). They will want data dumped out 
 into a spreadsheet-like format regardless of where it comes from. 

	I have no great objection to the use of XML being used
 in the background by data servers, fancy programs, etc.,
 for temporary files or for validation. (Although that increases
 the number of software libraries that people have to install,
 which is a bad trend.)

	To repeat myself: if you are going to force users into 
 the 21st century, only force them to adapt to only ONE 
 modern format and set of libraries/tools. You then make it more
 likely that people will actually start adopting more efficient
 and effective approaches to analysis and software development.

	Slightly tangental: There was one Browser demonstrated
 at the NeXus workshop that has your choice of user interface:
 GUI, text/script-based or web-based, so that all functionality
 could be accessed in any manner (or at least all via scripts). 
 I find that approach very enlightened, so people who prefer 
 different interface styles can still share the same 
 underlieing analysis tools. 
  
	- Tanya

-- 
  Dr. Tanya Riseman
  School of Physics and Astronomy	phone 44-121-414-7322
  University of Birmingham		fax   44-121-414-4719
  Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom	email: tmr at th.ph.bham.ac.uk