From: David Alan Black <dblack@...>
Date: 2002-02-24T12:55:34+09:00
Subject: Re: rdoc/xml questions

Hello --

On Sun, 24 Feb 2002, Sean O'Dell wrote:

> "Dave Thomas" <Dave@PragmaticProgrammer.com> wrote in message
> news:m2664o3jkw.fsf@zip.local.thomases.com...
> >
> > I'm wondering about having rdoc generate xml output, and have a couple
> > of questions.
> >
> > 1. Given the Ruby source
> >
> >        # comment 1
> >        class A
> >           # comment 2
> >           class B
> >           end
> >        end
> >
> >    how should the corresponding XML be generated in terms of
> >    nesting. Logically, you might want to see

[...]

> I do things my own way, so this may not make sense in terms of some of the
> tools other people use.  I tend to use xpath methods, with the occassional
> iteration at certain points in an XML document.
>
> The relationship is "class B inside class A."  To me, the most logical, most
> navigable way to express this is:
>
> <a type="class">
>     <description type="comment">comment</description>
>     <b type="class">
>         <description type="comment">comment</description>
>     </b>
> </a>
>
> So you can then say things like:
>
> a/description = "this is the description for class a"
>
> and:
>
> a/b/description = "this is the description for class b, which is nested
> inside class a"

That approach depends on Ruby names and XML identifiers having identical
rules of syntax and construction.  So, for example, you wouldn't be able
to have:

  <delete! type="method">

or

  <is_thing? type="method">

Also, say you had:

  class A
    class A
    end
  end

You'd then get:

  <A type="class">
    <A type="class>
    </A>
  </A>

which I don't think would make for any easier XPath manipulation than:

  <class name="A">
    <class name="A">
    </class>
  </class>


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@candle.superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav