FW: Time Zone Issues

[Chris Sells]

The current format is *not* easily readable by machines unless all of the
tzinfo parser accompanies the data. XML would allow the data to be used
without the software, making it instantly available for all the platforms
not supported today (I never did get the tzinfo parser to compile under
Win32). XML parsers are far more commonly available than ports of the tzinfo
parser software.

> From: Eric Ulevik [mailto:eau at ozemail.com.au]
...
> The downsides of XML are:
> * you need a full up-to-date parser for most benefits

You don't, actually. The tzinfo could be in the simpliest form of XML and
still be extremely useful.

> * right now, there are no good editors for creating XML

Not true. Win32 has about half a dozen good ones. Check out xml.com for a
large list of xml-related resources, including editors, for all platforms.

Of course, the initial port of the XML should be generated by a program
anyway, but for edits, you're right -- you'll need a good XML editor.

> * data expands a fair bit

That's true.

Chris Sells
http://staff.develop.com/csells

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Ulevik [mailto:eau at ozemail.com.au]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 2:47 PM
> To: tz at elsie.nci.nih.gov
> Cc: Garrett Wollman
> Subject: Re: FW: Time Zone Issues
>
>
> From: "Garrett Wollman" <wollman at khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu>
> > <<On Tue, 18 Apr 2000 21:49:45 -0700 (PDT), Paul Eggert
> <eggert at twinsun.com> said:
> > > There has been talk from various quarters of XMLizing the whole
> > > thing, but it would take some work and as far as I know nobody's
> > > done it yet.
> > And there is no inherent virtue in XML.  The current format has the
> > benefit that it is easily parsed by both machines and humans, which
> > would be much more difficult in any XML-based scheme.
>
> The benefits of XML are:
> * most computer systems will be able to directly read/write the structured
> data
> * guarantees validity of the data by the use of DTDs and Schemas
> * handles internationalization properly
>
> The downsides of XML are:
> * you need a full up-to-date parser for most benefits
> * right now, there are no good editors for creating XML
> * data expands a fair bit
>
> Regards,
>
> Eric Ulevik
>
>