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Message-ID: <170f01c44d9f$354cf030$03bfea43@sybase.com>
From: "Adam R. B. Jack" <ajack@trysybase.com>
To: <general@gump.apache.org>
Subject: PROPOSAL: SAX+xmlutils -> xml.dom.minidom
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 15:25:58 -0600
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I just can't seem to deal with the code that Sam originally wrote for
parsing/merging XML. I've spent days trying to develop unit tests, and get
inside it. I think I have a clue how it is meant to operate/function, but
the implementation is so 'tight'/Pythonic that I just can't get 100% with
it. I am finding it infuriating. I can't fix the bugs that are there,  I
can't extend it without make more bugs, 'odd stuff' happens.

I know there is risk in such a fundamental change, but I'd like to re-write
it using simple DOM (unless Sam feels like stepping in & educating me in
detail.) Basically the SAX events are used to construct DOM-like Python
objects (maybe lighter weight, I'm not sure) so I don't see a lot of
difference. Having Python DOM ought allow us to leverage XPATH and such, so
has additional benefits. We use basic XML so ought be able to us Python's
minidom.

My suspicion is that if I do this we'll find subtle 'merge failures',
certain merge features (like overriding projects, etc.), but few than the
higher echelon Gumpmeisters would know how to use these anyway. That, and I
personally believe that a lot are broken in Gumpy already, we've just not
had bug reports 'cos they are obscure.

I'll do this in a separate branch & perform runs on
http://gump.try.sybase.com that we could review.

I don't want to be working on this, but I can't seem to get past it. I don't
want to be 'scared' of any part of Gump, and I want to be able to extend
it/fix it.

Thoughts?

[BTW: I am trying to work on artefacts/repository, I just somehow got
trapped in this. I guess the performance speed-up w/ removing Annotations
just piqued my curiosity. I feel like a cat! ;) ]

regards,

Adam
--
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