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I have actually practically tried out a test where I give a huge config file in XML and then JSON and ask folks question on its structure. The ones who read th

I have actually practically tried out a test where I give a huge config file in XML and then JSON and ask folks question on its structure. The ones who read the XML file understood immediately. Why ? Because XML is self-documenting and the repetition via clear de-limitation extensively aids human memory. The one who read the JSON file just glazed over it and needed to refer back to the document and re-read several times. I urge all the XML naysayers and XML haters to please carry out this practical test with their colleagues. Please choose a good level of complexity and nesting and please make use of XML attributes for scalar values. XML is SO FAR ahead in readability and grokking that it is not funny.

seec 1y ago
Exactly. And with a proper color scheme it is so much easier to "parse" a document as a human. But JSON popularity is linkend to the web and javascript so not much that can be done. Coming up with new ambiguous markups just for config files is just a waste. I really don't get it; the whole point of computing is to make stuff rigorous and precise so that you don't have to run a whole guesstimate translation layer as you need to with humans.