From: Langer, Paul
We will destroy the portability of XML, if media types like
xml/my-application are allowed; as soon as something can be labeled as
e.g. xml/hugo the owner of application hugo will feel free to add
hugo-specific features to XML.
I find this statement a bit puzzling; the X in XML is from 'eXtensible'.
The _goal_ of XML is to be the 'mother tongue' from which new
application-specific languages evolve.
I think that this is really at the heart of the question of whether or not
xml/ is an appropriate media type, and think that it is not a particularly
useful one. The interesting and useful attribute of an XML-derived language
is not that it is derived from XML; it's in whatever application domain it
serves. The MIME registration of any application type that employs XML as
its expression/definition mechanism will say so - I don't see any particular
value in making that a part of the hierarchy of its name. ASN.1 is used for
a great many different things (too many :-), but we don't expect them all to
interoperate or even to be interested in interoperating.
--
Scott Lawrence Director of R & D
<lawrence(_at_)agranat(_dot_)com>
Agranat Systems, Inc. Embedded Web Technology http://www.agranat.com/