RE: [Rfid] Re: XML vs. Text vs. Binary

>So designing for human readability in what is inherently
machine-to-machine
>operation does not seem like a requirement,

I'd agree, except there's one flaw in your statement:

	Humans *are* involved.

Unless you've found a way for machines to build the machines to talk to
machines, but I thought SkyNet wasn't operational yet.

I've worked with a variety of protocols and formats, and to be honest if
I have to deal with one more friggin' binary protocol I'm going to have
the urge (yet again) to kill something.

The efficiency tradeoff is largely a red herring.
*Pragmatically* speaking, it's a wash.
There are some minor perturbations each way, but they're not
significant. Not in this space.

I've seen various encodings.
I've done the math.
I've written code, both high and level level, to build and parse such
data streams.
I've even shipped products.
***It's a wash.***

A *well-designed* text format is equivalent to a *well-designed* binary
format, in terms of size, memory utilization, parse efficiency and so
forth, for these needs.

But...when it comes to *using* the format, TEXT IS ALWAYS SUPERIOR TO
BINARY.

Unless someone knows a way to take the 'human' factor out of it.

Text formats are far more amenable to lower effort to use, to
troubleshoot and to do so correctly. They lower the barrier to entry.
The encourage more exploration more easily.

Given the technical delta is effectively nil, and the *human* factor is
significantly tilted in favor of a textual/non-binary format, I fail to
see how a 'binary' format is compelling over 'text'.

On the efficiency side, I would love to see someone challenge my
assertion -- WITH NUMBERS.

No anecdotes.
No opinions.
Cold hard clear factual values.

	- Howard

P.S. When I say 'text' I mean non-binary, in the traditional senses of
the words. XML is textual, but often fails the bandwidth/size issue vs.
other (esp. more specialized) text formats, designed for more efficient
size + utilization. XML is great for data not because it's inherently
great, but because everyone (esp. every vendor) agreed "it's good
enough". The *everyone* part is why XML is successful. YAML, JSON and
other formats are superior in some technical ways, but given the breadth
acceptance ("even if we don't love it, we don't hate it") it's often a
good solution. In this case? That's up for debate.

But ignore XML; it's a subset of 'text'.

In the 'binary' vs. 'text' Steel Cage Deathmatch, both will be bloodied,
both will be weary, and **the audience** will come on stage and crown
'text' the champion.

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