[GD-General] when and why we use XML

[<ns...@vs...>]

Brian Hook Wrote:-
/
/So here's a question -- I know that whenever a discussion about text 
/file formats comes up there is often a "use XML" grenade tossed into 
/it.  Now, I can think of a lot of reasons NOT to use XML (i.e. it's 
/overkill, for one), but I'm curious what real, tangible reasons for 
/using XML exist, as opposed to a simple application specific structure 
/(like INI files).

A few places where I have in the past found it fruitful to use XML:-

(1) Where a subset of a level has to be set up by a bunch of programmers and then "handed over" to a bunch of non-programmer level designer types: who need to then populate the data-set for a whole level OR multiple levels and then get back to a programming team with whether the feature set provided to them and under development has any glaring deficiencies. Oftentime in cases like this it helps to have the system architect/lead programmer XMLise the thingie - and pass it on for development of that and similar thingies to somewhat more junior members of the team who then have the onus of interacting directly with game designers - who then use XMLized tools to validate and populate data sets being prepared and tested by them.
For INI files there's a danger that members of the programming team may just pick up INI-file editor type pet projects OR that due to political reasons OR maturity(especially during the mid-lifecycle stages of a medium sized project) relatively members of the level design team may get into arguments OR raise red-flags and debates about the appropriateness of the feature set; and whether or not they need validate and feed the data set or not.

In situations like these which are common place (eg: (a) when setting up a few opponents with "individual opponent" properties and OR (b) When setting up data-sets section-wise varying level properties) using a somewhat more standardized format where it's easier to get input validating tools - it's useful to use XMLized data formats.

(2) When doing off-shore development - where sections of code are being worked on by a non-captive programming team. (reasons same as above; also, when there's a client-provider relationship; then people on the client's side are sometimes more likely to ask for more)

In both of the above cases, you could in principle use INI files editable thru text files; but experience has taught us that it's often not so, and feature demands are somewhat hard to ignore when one boasts of client satisfaction as one of the things that set oneself as a team apart from the rest.

This is not a general answer - but in our case - this is what experience has taught us abt where it makes sense - politically and commercially to use XML/XMLized data sets.

Hope that helps...

Regards,
Nalin