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I think I misread you at first so let me try this again.
I don't want to parse any strings. I created a tool that allows others to generate parsers to parse strings.
As to why you would want to - most of the internet runs on text based protocols. XML and JSON are text based, as are most internet data exchange formats.
Also there are things like programming languages. Say you want to parse one, or create your own. This helps with that, or making a query engine, making a SQL DB of your own, or parse SQL scripts whatever.
There are plenty of reasons to use a parser.
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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I know what a parser is, obviously. But if the output of the parser is a string (such as XML or JSON), then you're building some Rube Goldberg machine that keeps parsing and serializing and parsing again.
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That's not the main output. It's just an option to use with the parse tree.
The output is actually a pull parser underneath it all, such that
while(parser.Read) {
switch(parser.NodeType)
{
case LLNodeType.NonTerminal:
case LLNodeType.Terminal:
}
}
It builds a parse tree using that, if you want it to, or you can use it directly
It works almost exactly like XmlReader
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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To me the advantage of using XML with Visual Studio is that all functionality is built-in, when using an external library like the Newtonsoft.Json.dll you can get in DLL hell.
Especially when using NuGet packages everybody seems to be using their own version of Newtonsoft.Json.dll 
Here is an Ebook about XML: https://bookdl.com/978-1484231043/[^]
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You are assuming that everyone hates XML. XML/XSLT and the API around it are mature in Java and .NET, and many systems were build based on these technologies.
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say everyone hates XML. I only suggested it as a possibility (now that JSON is around)
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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codewitch honey crisis wrote: But I don't want to bother if everyone hates XML.
Aw, ffs, most people will not even know that it is being used. We're not religious, so we can't burn XML just because a few people don't know what it is for.
If you create entire databases in XML, you'll hate it, yes. If you use it as a communication-protocol, you'll hate it too. Use it as an exchange-format, and it will work perfectly.
I would store a tree in an in-memory SQLite3 database. Quick, efficient, and easy to write to a SQLite-db on disk and have the user send you their tree by mail, if you need it for debugging.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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I'm not even using the XML. It's just a feature i'm thinking of adding for end user devs that use my stuff.
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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Consider yourself to be SQL Server; do you allow export in XML, or would you prefer not to because a few people "hate it"?
Programming isn't politics, technologies don't have to be popular.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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I do crap that's not popular all the freakin time. 
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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#realJSOP wrote: I do crap that's not popular all the freakin time.
Like asking who took your template-permissions? 
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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in sql server the XML might actually be useful. from a parse tree, less so
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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codewitch honey crisis wrote: in sql server the XML might actually be useful. from a parse tree, less so
That I don't know, but it doesn't change the point that you asked whether XML is still appropriate. I think it may be moreso than a CSV file 
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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One time I built a mapper that allowed you to represent hierarchical data in tabular format, using the same technique used by MS SQLXML, including the column naming style and such. It was primarily used for accessing RDBMS systems using XML and XPath but you could use it on anything that can be tabular including CSV files and even HTML forms
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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You'd think that after 27 years we would have agreed on a standard way to access the database. From SQL92 and ODBC to ADO and DAO to .NET providers and connections, we have this long list on standard ways, and you introduce yet another way that is built on existing standards.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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That's why standards are great - we have so many to choose from!
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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codewitch honey crisis wrote: Do people still use XML?
Yes, at least I do (and the previous department where I was working too)
If it is worth your time to add and mantain... only you can answer the question
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Right tool for the right job, doesn't matter if others use it or not!
I do all my own stunts, but never intentionally!
JaxCoder.com
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i personally don't need the feature. i'm designing an API. the feature is for others, so the question is, do you use XML to do the job these days?
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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If you need to guarantee that your objects stay in order, use XML. JSON is subject to the engine that's parsing it, where XML is - well - XML.
The only thing I think most real programmers hate is any form of visual basic.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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#realJSOP wrote: The only thing I think most real programmers hate is any form of visual basic.
That sounds like a challenge .
Let's see.- Windows installer and writing install packages for it
- Writing Windows device drivers
- Writing Windows device driver installers
- Creating Windows install images when a new revision of the OS comes out
- The MSDN web site, which Microsoft redesigns to obscure the fact they're removing content so they don't have to support it
and that's just the crap I can think of associated with Microsoft and Windows. If I got started on software management in a hardware-centric company, two things would happen. One, I'd probably exceed Chris' message length limit, and two my ass would be terminated with extreme prejudice.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I use XML for lots of things but mostly where I need a desktop app to communicate with a web resource either to receive/send bulk data (usually via sql to xml) or little things like FTP credentials (encrypted of course) or program/file updates.
I've always found XML to be extremely easy to use.
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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It's probably one of those cases where, unless you need to use XML, use JSON.
From your problem statement it seems that you need to use XML, so use it. Tough if everyone hates it.
Kevin
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Unfortunately, i can't readily use JSON because node order is significant, and JSON allows for reording of child nodes.
When I was growin' up, I was the smartest kid I knew. Maybe that was just because I didn't know that many kids. All I know is now I feel the opposite.
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XML is widely used. And, it's often a lot more convenient than JSON, since you can create a DTD that lets the parser do a lot of the grunt work for you. I use it all over the place. I only use JSON if it's already part of the protocol of a device I'm talking to or it's stuff related to talking to Javascript in a browser.
Explorans limites defectum
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