3 ms·

This is probably a direct consequence of the fact that XML (unlike S-expressions, or JSON) fails to be self-describing. See [PDF]: http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.u

• Nitramp 15y ago
  XML is self-describing, it just so happens that XML's data model is not identical (and actually not even close) to SOAP's data model, or the typical programming language's data model. XML itself only describes a text encoding, XML infoset describes node labeled trees, possibly graphs through xml:id and idref. Unlike JSON it doesn't have a concept of null, it only has absence of a node. The authors of SOAP just invented a truly terrible way of mapping XML into a programming language's constructs (which are typically edge labeled trees with typed nodes). XML is actually a decent data format for markup. Using it for other purposes (RPC format, configuration files, ...) usually doesn't end well.
  • epochwolf 15y ago
    With xml, I thought <tag/> was null and <tag></tag> was an empty string.
    • ScottBurson 15y ago
      No, those two forms are equivalent: both indicate an empty string.