Was that sarcastic? S-expressions aren't readable.
Furthermore, we used to have a mess of a language that combined style and markup. We moved onto separating the 2, so we could develop more flexible websites.
Furthermore, we used to have a mess of a language that combined style and markup. We moved onto separating the 2, so we could develop more flexible websites.
This isn't exactly an objective truth. Personally, I find them more readable than XML or JSON.
I'd say S-exps are definitely a lot more writeable than XML, at least.
Presumably that means you're prioritising developer familiarity over architectural simplicity?
It also provides a very big ecosystem that AXR actually use.
XML is clear and precise and extensible, but it's not exactly known for having a simple syntax, right? So aren't you choosing XML primarily because of the ecosystem and tooling?
I consider XML proved itself as a reliable data layer. JSON is not considered because it does not even supports attributes and extensibility.
I would really appreciate if you would consider contributing some nice ideas. Come over to the mailing list :P
By choosing XML you're using a syntax with a wide ecosystem and very good tooling, but you're given up some simplicity in your design. Presumably you consider this to be a good trade-off, and I don't necessarily disagree with that choice.
My concern is that in order to compete with an existing standard, a technology either needs to be a considerably better, or trivial to substitute for the old standard. XML/HSS seems to satisfy neither criteria, clinging to familiarity on the one hand, but having a high barrier to adoption on the other.